Separate Worlds
by Melody of Perdition
Summary: Two worlds will finally collide. Sweet and caring Hinata Hyuuga finally meets cold and arrogant Sasuke Uchiha. Ninja world. SasuHina, one sided NaruHina, SasuSaku, NaruSaku. On Hiatus
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto… (sobs)**

"**Separate Worlds"**

* * *

"_**The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy."**_

"_Mom… Dad…"_

_I whispered as I saw the corpses on the middle of the training room. A puddle of blood surrounded the bodies of two of my precious people. "Who did this?" I asked myself over and over again, as I backed from my parents' corpses. I couldn't help but stare at my mother's once beautiful face staring back at me, any of the warmth they always held had disappeared. I let a whimper escape my mouth. "Mom…"_

"_Sasuke-kun…" – said a whisper I knew very well, with an emotionless air coming from it._

"_Nii-san… What happened? Mom… Dad… They're…" – I sobbed, turning my eyes away from my parents' corpses to search for my missing older brother._

"_Dead." – said the emotionless voice._

_After the statement, I couldn't help but cry even louder than before. Itachi didn't care about my mom and dad's death. Why? What's the matter with him?_

_He appeared in front of me, kunai in hand, looking at me with an emotionless expression I never expected to see on my older brother's face. He opened his mouth and whispered, paralyzing me from every movement I could try. I perceived the hatred in his voice:_

"_Are you afraid, little brother?"_

_I whimpered. I felt his breath tickling on my neck, sending shivers up and down my spine. Afraid. "Yes! I am afraid, nii-san! Mom and dad died." I stared at the ground, full of shame. I accepted my parents' deaths. What kind of son am I?_

_He grasped my chin with his left hand, while the right one kept holding the kunai to my throat. "Don't be sad, Sasuke-kun. You must hate the one who killed our family."_

_Surprise suddenly shook my whole body. Hate? I must? Why is he holding the kunai that way?_

"_Nii-san… Please… L-lower your k-kunai. You're scaring me."_

_Itachi smirked at me, as he lowered the hand that was holding my chin, but kept hold of the kunai with the right hand. _

"_I'm scaring you, Sasuke-kun? Don't you hate me a little bit?"_

_**HATE?! Why must I hate you nii-san?**_

"_I killed the entire Uchiha clan. Only you and I remain."_

_I'm such a foolish kid. Just a kid. As a kid, I ran away from Itachi, as fast as I could. As a kid, I didn't notice the death omens that surrounded the Uchiha manor. As a kid, I wanted to run away from reality. _

_No._

_It couldn't be true._

_Itachi didn't kill mom and dad… _

_He wouldn't dare… Would he?_

_Suddenly, everything made sense to me. Why he disappeared from the daily meals with our parents, why he rejected the idea of helping me train my shuriken skills, why he kept his distance from all of us._

_I stopped running in the middle of the aisle, finally believing I had lost my brother. I looked around me, searching for Itachi's presence, as my tears kept falling over and over again. _

_Suddenly, the scene in front of me disappeared and everything was darkness._

_In the middle of nowhere, I saw a woman's silhouette surrounded by a heavenly light. She was twirling and dancing with both of her small feet, her long hair following each and every move of her body._

_The vision enchanted me. _

_I felt the need to close the distance between us and, as I managed to get closer to her…_

I woke up.

"Shit"

Mom had finally sent me an angel to take care of me during my sleep, and that angel had to disappear.

I muttered incomprehensible and incoherent words to the world.

"This better be a fucking lie."

* * *

_**"Love unexpressed is a crime against the heart."**_

Winter breeze entered through my room's window, freezing every fiber of hair I combed as part of my daily routine. I hummed the soft melody my mom used to sing, as she combed my hair every morning.

_Kaa-san_

I stopped moving the brush up and down. My mother's death has always been a difficult subject to remember for me. I've never been able to overcome her early death. She was 30, I was 5.

I sighed.

I resumed the combing of my hair, this time in complete silence. Life has never been easy for me after my kaa-san's death. Dad became cold-hearted with me and always preferred my younger sister, Hanabi, over me. I don't blame him. My mother was my dad's happiness and I resembled her in every wrinkle and expression she had. Our eyes, our hands, even our nose were the same. We were alike in every single physical and emotional aspect.

As I remembered every moment I spent with my mother, I didn't notice the thousand tears that escaped my eyes.

We loved cooking desserts for my father every night after I returned from the Academy. We used to play with the sugar and make a mess on the kitchen. We also used to take care of the small garden during the weekends. She used to teach me how to make beautiful flower arrangements and useful oilments that were able to cure every scratch otto-san inflicted on himself after every training he had with his brother, Hizashi, when he was alive.

_Uncle Hizashi._

He is the reason Neji-nii-san hated me during most of his lifetime. He is the reason my father and Neji could have a better relationship. Thanks to Uncle Hizashi, my father is still alive.

I sighed.

I stopped crying as time passed by. Those memories I cherished made me decide I would pay a visit to my loved ones' graves.

It is that time of the year, after all.

I gathered my lavender jacket and my winter boots, without messing my tidy room. I grasped my room's doorknob, more memories traveling my body at the touch with the cold metal. I closed the door and ran towards the main door that was an exit from the cold-hearted Hyuuga Manor.

"Hinata." – A stern voice said my name, making me freeze just as I was about to exit my so called home. I turned around and saw my father's severe gaze fall over me, the same eyes that have always intimidated me.

I bowed in acknowledgement to my father. _The Hyuuga position is first, then the family position. First he's the head of the clan, and then he's my father._

"Where are you going?" – he asked, both of his arms crossed in front of his chest, his posture always emanating the strong and serious feeling a clan leader must follow.

"A-Ano…" – I said. _Damn it! Why did I stutter? _– "I'm h-heading t-towards K-Kaa-san's grave." – At the mention of my mother, everything around us grew quiet. My father turned around and started walking quietly, never looking back. Before disappearing he whispered: "Say hi to your mom from me."

A simple whisper that left me wide eyed.

A simple whisper that made me realize my father still had a heart, that he wasn't a coldhearted person as I believed.

He's a human, and he misses my mom.

I gratefully smiled at the sudden realization. I could still recover my dad from the sadness and corruption that he was surrounded in, thanks to the Hyuuga Traditions!

I exited the Hyuuga manor, deciding that I will stop at Ino's Flower Shop to buy a present to Kaa-san.

_Beautiful lavenders, lilies, and roses will suit her grave._

**Introducing my new piece of fanfiction... "Separate Worlds"!**

**Please post your reviews! Comments, congratulations, critics, opinions, etc.**

**_Snow Astrum_**


	2. Her World

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. I wish I did.**

**Yeah, I know: Oh, here you are you little procrastinator! I know I know... Thanks to the Swine Flu I finally had time to write. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the new chapter!**

**"Separate Worlds"**

**By: Melody of Perdition, formerly known as Snow Astrum**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Her World**

_**"There are a million things in the world I want, but all I need is you."**_

* * *

Both of her hands were laying over her chest, enclosing each other, silently praying for the well-being of her family and her own. She was just beside her mother's grave, holding a bouquet of her mother's favorite flowers. A white stone, reflecting the pureness of an angel, lay above her head, which read:

"Here lays Hyuuga Haruka

Mother and wife

_`What the heart has once owned and had, it shall never lose'"_

Hinata felt the tears welling up on her eyes. She tried with all her might to stop them from falling, but it was impossible. She had always needed her mother: she was always the one who listened her, the one who understood her, but, most importantly, the one who expressed her love towards her. _Unlike otto-san. _– Thought Hinata, as she passed her arm over her eyes, cleaning her wet tears with the sleeve of her lavender jacket.

_Okaa-san… I know you're taking care of me._

Hinata happily smiled at her own thoughts. She knew they were always right. A slight breeze danced with her hair as she lost herself in her own thoughts and memories. The white eyed kunoichi was submerged in her own thoughts that she couldn't listen to the faint whispers of the wind. The breeze grew stronger recovering her attention. She now could listen to the faint whispers calling her:

"Hinata…"

A voice, a male voice was calling her. _Naruto-kun? No, it can't be. The voice sounds different. _To her, the voice was full of sorrow, full of regret… full of hatred. It was a deep voice she knew very well, but couldn't point out. It wasn't Shino's or Kiba's. The mysteriousness of the voice caused her to bid her goodbyes to her mother, letting her know she would come and visit one more time.

"Otto-san sends you greetings, kaa-san. He still remembers. He hasn't forgotten you. I will try to bring him someday, I promise."

The faint whisper could still be heard, calling her name again and again. _The voice seems to… need me._

As Hinata walked through the Main Street on Konoha, she couldn't help but stare at the Ramen Shop, Ichiraku Ramen, in which her long time crush would always eat. She blushed at the different memories she shared with Naruto.

But, every memory of Naruto, as happy as it seems, must always bring the recognition of Naruto's own crush – Sakura Haruno, a pink haired and jade-eyed medic nin. Hinata sighed. Naruto would never ever notice her, not if she's behind the exotic beauty of Sakura Haruno.

Faint screams were heard around Konoha, but none of them reached the oblivious Hyuuga's ears. She was too busy depressing herself at the thoughts of Sakura and Naruto _dating. _

"HINATA!"

She kept walking. _Step, step, step. _Until someone caught her from her shoulders and turned her around. He was taking deep breaths after having run a long distance, searching for her around the Village. His head was bent, resting both of his hands on her shoulders. His long, spiky blonde hair covered his azure eyes, which enchanted Hinata every time she saw him directly on the eyes.

"I'm… glad… I… caught… you!" – gasped Naruto at the white eyed, Hyuuga heiress.

"N-Naruto-kun!"

Naruto scratched the back of his neck, with a small blush adorning his cheeks. _W-why is he blushing that way? _Neither of them had noticed that Naruto was still holding onto Hinata's shoulders with one of his hands, while she blushed furiously. It seemed they were a couple having their first date to any passer by.

"H-Hinata… I was wondering if you could help me with something." – said Naruto, the light blush never leaving his cheeks.

She nodded, since she was not able to formulate any words since her brain suddenly froze.

"That's great! Follow me!" – said Naruto, grasping her hand and guiding her towards the Ramen Shop.

_We… Together… I'm happy… Naruto-kun._

They stopped in the middle of the Ramen Stand's entrance. Hinata's nostrils were suddenly invaded with the smell of Naruto's favorite meal. She could make out the different ingredients used to make the ramen: pork, chicken, the fresh noodles taken out from the oven, and one thousand more ingredients. She happily smiled, _her first date with Naruto! _Suddenly, she turned to look beside her to find Naruto was missing. Her smile disappeared and turned into a frown as she noticed her long time crush was hanging out with the pink haired kunoichi.

_He… he forgot me!_

Hinata ran away from the restaurant, wanting to disappear as fast as she could. She knew Naruto had always loved Sakura. She knew! _Then why am I running? Why am I so depressed?_

She finally stopped in the middle of a clearing. She hadn't even noticed that she had exited the city completely. The clearing was a five meter radius, which was completely filled by many flowers Hinata had never imagined she would see in such a naturalistic way, and the greenest grass she had ever seen. The clearing had a small mount, from which a cascade fell over a tiny lake, where the clearing's area ended.

She sat down in the middle of the clearing, with both of her legs entwined with each other. She took deep breaths with her eyes closed, trying to ease the pain she felt after such eventful moment. As she expanded all of her senses, she could hear more loudly the male whispers she had perceived next to her mother's grave.

That voice… She knew it.

But she couldn't make out the owner of the voice. He kept whispering her name. Over and over again that voice called for her, and she liked it. She felt secure for a strange reason. She felt that maybe it could be a sign…

Her eyes fluttered open. Suddenly…

_What if Naruto isn't the __**one**__? What if the only thing I feel for him is respect? _

_Am I really in love with him?_

All of her doubts seemed to resurface from her subconscious. The voice didn't stop from whispering her name. She kept listening to it, dazed in the mysteriousness of the whispers. Her subconscious seemed to know all of the answers to all of her questions, the same subconscious who had clearly asked if she even loved Naruto.

After many years of being head over heels for him, she suddenly was having doubts?!

The voice seemed to have given her an epiphany, concerning her current _love_.

She was clearly no longer sure of anything.

As she exited her new favorite place, she met up with Kiba, who urged her to go to the Hokage's office tomorrow morning. It seemed a mission was about to start.

_A mission she will always remember. _

* * *

"Sasuke-kun? Are you all right?" – said Karin's squeaky voice. Her voice resounded in the walls of our hideout, making Sasuke's ears hurt. But his face remained passive as always.

"Hn."

"Is that a `Yes Karin, I'm all right' or a `Leave me alone in my corner, Karin'?" – She asked, trying to mimic Sasuke's deep voice.

"Hn."

Sighing, Karin whispered as she left Sasuke alone: "Geez, he's always the same."

When she left, Sasuke was able to keep recounting to himself his dream. It had been the same dream – _no, nightmare, _he corrected himself – he had been having since he was younger, after his parents were murdered by his older brother.

But it was different.

_Why did I saw a woman? I've never liked females. They're so annoying. _He thought, as he remembered Sakura and Ino. He shuddered just by remembering their voices, the way their cornered him just to ask him to kiss them, the way they always competed for his attention. _Now, I just don't find them annoying, I'm even afraid of them. _

_But why did this woman appear?_

Suddenly, Suigetsu's face appeared, poking from the small gap between the door and the room's wall.

"Hey, man, what's wrong? Girl trouble?" – asked Suigetsu, laughing quietly at his little joke towards the Uchiha Avenger.

Suddenly, a pillow hit him right on the face.

"Ow man, I was joking!"

That small joke had caused the nerves on Sasuke's mind.

_Girl trouble? What's that?_

* * *

**Please leave your comments! They will all be appreciated! ****Stay tuned for more of "Separate Worlds"**

**Take care of the Swine Flu, wherever you are.**

**_Melody of Perdition, formerly known as Snow Astrum_**


	3. Catching Up!

**"Separate Worlds"**

**Pairings: SasuHina, slight NaruHina**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters. They all belong to Kishimoto-sama!**

**I want to thank all of those who have reviewed the story or added it to their favorite or alert's list. Minna, Arigato Gozaimasu!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Catching up**

* * *

As dawn arrived to the little village of Konoha, the streets started filling up with its usual activity. Shopkeepers, ninjas, and normal citizens were starting their daily activities. Among them, Hinata Hyuuga walked through the Main Street with a slight smile on her face. She wore her usual lavender ninja clothing with her long and sleek midnight blue hair that danced with the slightest touches of the breeze.

The owner of the Ramen shop and his daughter, who were just opening their store to welcome their customers to their first meal of the day, smiled and waved at her. As she nodded and smiled in acknowledgement, she heard a loud voice coming from behind her. She tried to ignore the enthusiastic yells coming from the voice that grew closer to her.

Suddenly, the voice grew quiet and Hinata was thankful of it, until a blonde with an orange and black jumpsuit appeared in front of her.

"Hey Hinata! I've been yelling your name for a while. I guess you didn't hear me, right?" – said the young man, with a big grin on his face while his right hand scratched the back of his head. He stood right in front of her, not allowing her to escape from him.

She sighed with her left hand on top of her chest where her heart is before responding and a small frown adorning her full lips.

"Oh, hi Naruto-kun." She whispered, before continuing her journey towards the Hokage's office, not bothering to wait for her friend.

Naruto stood in the middle of the street, completely confused at the lack of happiness and enthusiasm Hinata usually emanated. _What's wrong with her? Maybe something happened with Neji! That bastard... Still, I should ask her. She's my friend. _

The blonde caught up with her and walked beside her, glancing sideways at her pale face and memorizing all of her features. He suddenly realized that, when Hinata behaved normally instead of passing out in front of him, she looked really pretty and even attractive. _What the…?_

"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" – asked Hinata, who had felt his unexpected and profound long stares.

"Uh… uh, nothing Hinata-chan." – said Naruto. _Damn, did I say `Hinata-chan'? _She looked at him, confusion and hope evident in her eyes, allowing him to continue. – "Well... It's just you're acting weird."

"Weird?" – asked the blue haired kunoichi. She had clearly been expecting something different. _Why am I feeling so hopeful? He loves Sakura… not me._

Naruto nodded with excitement. He was so happy that she had understood him pretty well, that he hadn't noticed the depressive cloud that was forming on top of the Hyuuga heiress. _I knew I could count on Hinata not trying to hit me on the face or insulting me for not understanding `girl troubles.' _

He closed his eyes and nodded to himself as he thought: _Yeah, Hinata does understand me. She has never tried to kick me as you would with a punching bag! She's so nice with me and everything. Why can't Sakura be like her?_

He opened his eyes as he was about to communicate his rambling thoughts to the petite kunoichi, but he noticed that he stood alone in the middle of the street. He looked around and realized she had disappeared without leaving a trace.

_Where did she go?_

What he didn't know was that Hinata was rapidly jumping from rooftop to rooftop. She had decided to leave the blonde alone, laughing about her weirdness. _What's wrong with me? I thought I had clearly understood that he loved Sakura, not me. _Hinata arrived to the Hokage's office in a couple of minutes. As she stood in front of her office, she pushed aside a couple of tears that were threatening to fall. _I should use this mission to try and move on. I can't keep doing this to myself._

She knocked the door and opened it, after hearing the Hokage's imperious voice ordering her to enter.

As soon as she closed the door right behind her, she heard a loud voice yelling at her with enthusiasm and… _worry? _

"Hinata?! Where did you go? I suddenly turned around and you had disappeared." – yelled the blonde, who stood in front of Tsunade, the fifth Hokage of Konoha. Next to him, stood Sakura Haruno, Naruto's female team mate and crush since the Academy times, and a peculiar ninja with a gray and black outfit, but, most importantly, a fake smile on his face.

After Kakashi arrived and Naruto stopped yelling at him for being late and jumping with excitement, the Hokage explained what their mission was about.

"One of our Anbu ninjas detected strange chakra pulses on his way to Sunagakure. I've decided that you, Team Kakashi, along with the help of Hinata, will investigate this discovery." – said the Hokage in a deep and serious voice.

"Is there any special reason for assigning us the mission, Hokage-sama?" – asked Sakura, who was eyeing with suspicion her female mentor.

"It possibly has something to do with Orochimaru. Am I right, Hokage-sama?" – said Kakashi, answering the pink haired kunoichi's question. At the mention of the missing ninja, the office grew stiff. Tsunade turned around and looked through the big window that allowed her to have a complete view of the quiet, yet active village. Team Kakashi and Hinata found themselves thinking about someone, a missing ninja and friend who had left them to seek for revenge.

_Sasuke…_

The tension in the room remained for five minutes, until the Hokage answered the Jounin's question.

"Not Orochimaru, Kakashi. We believe it might be Uchiha Sasuke and his team."

Once again, tension flew through the room after the Hokage's words. Everyone was submerged in their own thoughts, feeling confused and excited at the possibility of finding their lost comrade. Hinata's small voice interrupted the suffocating silence the Hokage's words had imposed.

"Um… Hokage-sama?" – whispered Hinata, attracting the attention of everyone in the room. – "H-how come only I am assigned from Team Kurenai?"

"You, Hinata, have excellent chakra control and scouting abilities that will help Team Kakashi achieve their purpose. Shino and Kiba also have those special abilities but I rely you will keep an eye on Naruto." – Hinata blushed at the Hokage's response. _Even she knows… _The Hokage paused giving out her orders, before continuing, her gaze falling on the members of Team Kakashi. – "You will be leaving the Village today at sunset. Kakashi, I need to talk to you. The rest of you should go and prepare yourselves for the mission."

As the young ninja started to leave the office, they heard the Hokage's soft voice whisper to them "I hope you finally bring him back. I count on you."

Hinata, Naruto, Sakura and Sai parted their respectful ways, each eager and excited, but with different thoughts about the upcoming mission. Only one small little thought occupied each and every single one of their minds:

They had finally caught up with Sasuke.

* * *

The blue haired kunoichi remained silent when she and Team Kakashi started their journey. She couldn't help but notice how close the four of them had grown. She sighed with discontent, wishing Shino and Kiba could've accompanied her on this important mission. After all, she was after Sasuke Uchiha! Naruto's friend and team mate during their Genin years.

She tried remembering something about the Uchiha clan. In deep thought, she found herself submerged in her memories, where people would talk about the Uchiha family, though there were some gaps that were unknown to her and almost everyone of their generation.

"_Uchiha Itachi is a real prodigy!" _– yelled one of the villagers, with clear enthusiasm and amazement.

"_Hinata,"_ – her father's stern voice said – _"the Sharingan is a special ability, similar to our Byakugan. It's a special eye technique that allows the Uchiha clan to copy ninja techniques. The Sharingan's special ability is what makes the Uchiha clan one of the most prosperous clans in Konoha, alongside ours."_

"_Sasuke-kun is so awesome!" _– said a girl's voice, similar to Sakura's, who kept walking next to Naruto.

"I can't wait to meet that Sasuke-teme!" – yelled Naruto with a big grin on his face, returning Hinata back to their mission and away from her memories. – "I bet he became even stronger than the last time we met with him! I can't wait to show him the new jutsus I've learned!"

Sai remained silent, as well as Hinata and Kakashi, while Sakura frowned and punched Naruto in the face.

"What are you talking about, baka? We're not going to fight with Sasuke-kun!" – yelled the pink haired kunoichi.

"What?! Of course we're going to fight with him, Sakura-chan. You think Sasuke-teme will come on his own free will?"

"W-well, I hope so." – whispered Sakura, looking at the floor with clear shame. _Naruto's right… Sasuke-kun will surely try to fight us off._

Kakashi sighed and said at the bickering couple. "We should find somewhere to camp for a few hours."

Naruto started whining at the Jounin's order, saying they would lose Sasuke's track if they did what he had ordered. While they fought with each other, Hinata silently used her Byakugan to find someplace to camp and to look out for any ninja enemies. Sai looked at her with amazement. After all, it was the first time he witnessed the Byakugan's power. He silently approached and looked at her determined pearl eyes.

_They're different. _

The blue haired kunoichi deactivated the Byakugan and slightly smiled at Sai, who was surprised at the kindness that emanated from her. _Hinata Hyuuga. _She approached the annoyed Kakashi and whispered to him what she had found out with her family's ability.

"We're 5 km away from the border between the Fire Nation and Sunagakure. There's a lake about 2.5 km east from here. We can rest in the clearing that is right next to that lake, which can supply us of fresh water and fishes."

The rest of the team grew silent, before Kakashi with smiling face, or at least what could be seen behind the gray mask he usually wore, said:

"Great job, Hinata. I couldn't expect less from you."

The Hyuuga heiress smiled with a slight blush on her cheeks at the Jounin, happy of being recognized and appreciated. Naruto looked at her, disbelief visible in his azure eyes. _H-Hinata… she's… she's stronger. I can tell. _He thought, recalling the Chunnin Exams match, where she lost against the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan and her cousin, Neji.

_Hinata's twelve year old face emanated insecurity as she stood before the arrogance of Neji Hyuuga. She was looking down at the Arena's floor, listening to Neji's words about failure and destiny. _

"_Hinata-sama, you were not born to be a ninja. You avoid conflict. You're too gentle and kind. You should give up now that you've the chance." – said a twelve year old, Neji Hyuuga._

_Hinata's eyes widened with fear and disbelief._

"_But of course, you had to join the Chunnin Exams, since they could only be taken in teams of three. Shino and Kiba persuaded you to accompany them."_

_Hinata's shy and scared voice resounded on the arena, making everyone feel pity for her. "I-I t-took the exams w-willingly… I-I w-wanted to c-change m-m-myself."_

"_Failure's can't change, Hinata-sama. A failure will always be a failure. That's their destiny."_

_Naruto grew tired of listening to the genius's words and yelled: "Hinata! Show this big jerk that he's wrong!"_

_Neji and Hinata glanced at him. "Hinata! Come on, show him!" _

_Neji smirked with arrogance at the blonde haired Uzumaki. He glanced at Hinata but was surprised to see Hinata's determination evident in her eyes. The arena grew quiet when Hinata started making hand signs and activated her bloodline: "Byakugan!"_

_She took her fighting stance and whispered "Neji-nii-san… Let us fight!"_

Naruto remembered, as he walked around the clearing with the moonlight brightening his golden locks, how Hinata almost lost her life that day. But, he also remembered how Hinata had showed how strong she really was. She had proved she had what it took to become a ninja.

"_I never g-go… back on my word. B-because that is a-also my-y Ninja W-Way!"_

He slightly smiled at the memories that invaded his mind. _Hinata really became stronger, ne? _

He glanced at the blue haired kunoichi who was looking at the starry sky from the top of a tree. He was absorbed by the scene that was in front of him. The breeze danced with the tree's leaves and her blue haired locks. She had a slight smile in her face. She was clearly enjoying herself during the calm that prevailed on that night during their retrieval mission.

_Sasuke… I'm sure we will find you this time. I promise!_

* * *

"Sasuke-kun!" – yelled a red haired kunoichi to the young and last Uchiha. The black haired ninja silently groaned and glared at her. She had just disturbed his meditation, how dare she!

"What?" – He said, clearly annoyed and resentful at her.

Karin whimpered at the Uchiha's glare and whispered "We've company." Everyone in the room, including a giant ninja and a skinny one with a bluish skin, remained silent, allowing the only kunoichi in the Taka team to continue.

"Konoha ninjas are approaching."

_Hmph… Dobe. Sakura. _

"About time." – The last remainder member of the Uchiha clan whispered to himself.

* * *

**A/N: Well, hope you liked this chapter. Please review! Comments are very appreciated!**

**~Melody of Perdition**


	4. Destined Meeting

**"Separate Worlds"**

**Pairings: SasuHina, slight NaruHina**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters. They all belong to Kishimoto-sama!**

**Guys, I'm finally back! It's been a while since I have updated, so I want to thank you all for your support to this story. ****I want to thank all of those who have reviewed the story or added it to their favorite or alert's list. **_Arigato Gozaimasu!_

**And off with go with our next chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Destined Meeting**

* * *

_Hinata…_

The reassuring breeze kept calling her name with that strong, yet calm voice. The whisper the breeze carried reminded her of her father's voice. In contrast with the Hyuuga leader's voice, in some way, this voice reassured her that everything would be all right. The voice had a soothing tone mixed with kindness, yet coldness at the same time.

_Where have I heard this voice before?_

The Hyuuga heiress continued watching the tranquil scenery the night provided. She closed her eyes and enhanced her hearing. She was able to listen to the water flow in the lake and the life that revolved around it. The serenity of the nature that surrounded her was interrupted by Naruto's loud snores. She giggled silently and sighed. _Such a calm night…_

The moonlight started to fade away in the horizon when she heard something that caught her attention. She silently activated her Byakugan and descended the tree she was sitting on.

Suddenly, a hand clutched her right wrist and twisted her arm to her back until having her completely immobilized. She tried catching a glimpse of her attacker, but the only thing she could see was the untamed red locks of the aggressor. She sighed and concentrated on her chakra.

_Come on, Hinata… Do it!_

She inhaled deeply and then exhaled all of the air that filled her lungs. Her attacker released her grip on her and whimpered.

"Y-You!" – yelled the red haired kunoichi, whose right arm became numb at the sudden contact with her enemy's chakra.

Hinata smiled slightly and activated her Byakugan, adopting the Hyuuga Gentle Fist stance. She was retained by a katana that menacingly lingered inches away from her throat. Hinata whimpered at the cold contact the knife made with her soft skin. She was sure it was the end. _H-How did he do it? I should have noticed him with my Byakugan._

"Sasuke! Let her go!" – said the loud voice that belonged to her blonde teammate and long time crush.

Team Kakashi had apparently heard the kunoichi's voice. Both Naruto and Sakura stood before her with their eyes wide open and a forgotten kunai on their hands. Meanwhile, Sai stood behind them with a painting brush in one hand and a scroll in the other, ready to attack if necessary. Kakashi stood behind his whole team, a nostalgic expression fused with his activated Sharingan.

_Uchiha Sasuke?_

"P-Please, Sasuke-kun. Let her go… Hinata's got nothing to do with this." – said the pink haired kunoichi's voice. The Hyuuga heiress felt a pair of soft, yet cold lips above her ear, whispering softly.

"Hinata, eh?"

Her world suddenly stopped and turned black as her thoughts made her lose consciousness.

_Why does his voice resemble the one I have been listening?_

Sasuke caught her just when she was about to hit the ground. "Pathetic." He whispered as he laid her on the soft grass that surrounded them.

"Sasuke-kun…"

The Uchiha kept silently staring at the Hyuuga with his usual poker face, hiding his confusion and bewilderment. _What the hell is happening? It can't be… It's impossible she's the one I've been watching in my dreams. Hinata… Hyuuga? After all, she possess the Byakugan… Interesting…_

"Sasuke-teme! How dare you and your friends attack us?! What the hell were you thinking?" – yelled his best friend and rival's loud voice.

He glanced at both of his old teammates and noticed how they changed with time. Sakura had blossomed into a very beautiful kunoichi, but, to his eyes, she was still the same childish and annoying girl. Meanwhile, his best friend seemed to have matured with time, both as a ninja and a as a human being. _Even though he remains being the same loud and obnoxious idiot. _

"Sakura… Naruto… What are you doing here?" – He asked with a deep, yet silent voice, completely ignoring Naruto's questions. Sasuke returned his gaze to the blue haired kunoichi.

"We are taking you back to Konoha, Sasuke-teme! We will fight with you if it is necessary!" – continued yelling Naruto, with the same loud tone.

_**I stopped running in the middle of the aisle, finally believing I had lost my brother. I looked around me, searching for Itachi's presence, as my tears kept falling over and over again. **_

"He's right, Sasuke-kun. We have always been looking for you. We miss you… all of our friends miss you." – whispered Sakura with tears threatening to escape her eyes. "Allow us to make you happy, Sasuke-kun… We will be there for you when you need us, as we've always been."

_**Suddenly, the scene in front of me disappeared and everything was darkness.**_

"That's right, Sasuke-teme! You do not need to fight anymore. Itachi is dead! You no longer have to avenge your clan, you can continue living your own life. We will take care of you from now on! We can return to be the old team we used to be!"

Hinata listened to Naruto and Sakura's words towards their comrade. She knew they cared too much for him that they would do anything in their power to make him happy and be able to live in the Village together where all of them grew up. She slowly opened her eyes and gazed at the black pools that stared at her with surprise.

_**In the middle of nowhere, I saw a woman's silhouette surrounded by a heavenly light. She was twirling and dancing with both of her small feet, her long hair following each and every move of her body.**_

"Y-You should go back, Uchiha-san…" – she whispered, trying to help Team Kakashi achieve their mission, even if it did not help at all. – "T-they truly m-miss you…"

Sasuke found himself being lost in her hypnotic, and kind pearly eyes. He knew he would be regretting his decision, but something told him it was the only thing he could do to be close to her. The only thing he had wanted to do by approaching his old team was to let them realize that they had changed, that nothing would ever be the same… that they should stop looking for him. However, when he saw her blue haired locks, he could not help but ask himself why she was haunting all of his dreams.

_I will regret this._

_**The vision enchanted me. **_

_**I felt the need to close the distance between us and, as I managed to get closer to her…**_

"Sasuke-teme?" – asked the blonde, loudmouth ninja.

"Sasuke-kun?" – asked Sakura and Sai, who had remained silent during the whole exchange between the three members of the original Team Kakashi.

"Sasuke?" – asked Kakashi and Team Taka in unison.

None of those voices were important to him. They did not carry anything other than hope or worry, but he could not care less.

"Uchiha-san?" – It was the silent and respectful whisper of the blue haired kunoichi that convinced him that his return to Konoha might be what he needed. He sighed and hoped for the best to happen when returning the Village, where he had known what happiness could be, as well as the strongest pain his heart could ache and endure. He held his katana above his head and, without a sound, he put it away in its case.

"Fine."

Hinata slowly stood up from the soft grass, glancing at the Uchiha with fear and precaution. His poker face covered every emotion that was traveling through his entire being. The Hyuuga and the Uchiha maintained their gaze on each other, lost in their own thoughts and memories, seeking the answers to their questions in the opposite gaze.

After what seemed an eternity, Hinata rapidly made a couple of hand signs and silently whispered the name of the jutsu she was performing. Her world started to turn blurry and she directed her jutsu towards the missing ninjas, closing their chakra system. The Uchiha found himself smirking and shaking his head from side to side, as he felt how his strength disappeared from within him.

_After all, she is not weak at all. _

"W-What's going on?"– asked Naruto, bewilderment clear in his eyes as he noticed how Team Taka started to lose color on their faces. – "What did you do Hinata?"

The Hyuuga was about to respond to the blonde when she was interrupted by Kakashi's voice. "Hinata's real mission was to make sure none of the members of Team Taka escaped. Once we return to the Village, they will be taken by Anbu to be interrogated."

"B-But… you don't need to capture them… They will be coming on their own free will." – said Sakura, a couple of tears escaping her eyes and shaking her fists furiously. _Sasuke-kun… No… Why must he go through this?! He is one of us!_

"She does not have a choice." – whispered Sai, attracting the attention of Naruto and the pink haired kunoichi. Kakashi nodded as Sai continued explaining, his fake smiling always adorning his face. "It's procedure."

"Procedure?" – asked Sakura, while Naruto nodded behind her with a frown on his face.

"Hai... When capturing a missing nin who is i-important to the Village, t-the orders are to m-maintain them alive a-and disable t-their chakra s-system." – whispered Hinata, frowning and focusing her gaze on the floor. She slightly bowed to Sakura and Naruto, surprising them both, and said: – "I-I'm sorry, Naruto-kun… Sakura-san…"

"_**You, Hinata, have excellent chakra control and scouting abilities that will help Team Kakashi achieve their purpose. Shino and Kiba also have those special abilities but I rely you will keep an eye on Naruto."**_– The Hokage's voice resounded on Naruto's ears and mind. _So that's why… _

_Hinata…_

Naruto approached the blue haired and kunoichi and gently grasped Hinata's chin, forcing her to gaze at him. – "Don't worry, Hinata! They're Obaa-chan's orders after all…"

They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, each of them lost in each other's gaze. Hinata's face blushed furiously, while Naruto's acquired a slight pink blush on both of his cheeks. _She really is pretty… _Suddenly, someone cleared his throat, attracting the attention of both the Uzumaki and the Hyuuga heiress. It was Sasuke, who had an annoyed look on his face.

"Can we go now, Hyuuga?" – said the Uchiha, impatiently. _Hmph… what does Naruto think he's doing?_

Hinata stepped back and sent an apologetic smile towards the Uchiha. "Gomen, Uchiha-san… Let's go." – she whispered, before following the rest of Team Kakashi and Team Taka, whose team members kept complaining and grumbling silently.

Neither Naruto nor Sasuke noticed that both of them stood frozen in the middle of the clearing, lost in their own unorganized thoughts.

_Sasuke-teme, you baka! Hinata and I were having a moment! You will pay for this! _

_W-Why did I felt annoyed when Naruto touched the Hyuuga? Most importantly… why is she haunting me every night? I never talked to her during our years at the Academy!_

"Sasuke-kun! Naruto! Come on, you're staying behind!" – yelled the pink haired kunoichi, both of her hands resting on her hips and a wide smile on her face. _I can't believe this. We're finally together… after four long years._

At that moment, as they picked up the pace of their friends, Naruto and Sasuke were completely unaware that their world was about to turn upside down.

* * *

**A/N: Well, hope you liked this chapter. Please review! Comments are very appreciated!**

**If you have time to spare, I hope you can look at my profile and answer the poll I've posted. I would really appreciate it! ^^**

**~Melody of Perdition**


	5. White Camellia

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. They're all property of Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Hey Guys! Sorry the update is late, but I kinda had a writer's block. I'm happy I was able to fight it and lock it back on the back of my mind. Thanks to all of those who have reviewed, favorited, or added to their stories' alert list! Arigatoo!!**

**And off, we go!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: White Camellia**

* * *

After her successful mission with Team Kakashi, Hinata and the rest of Team Kurenai found themselves being bombarded with missions, especially A and B ranked. On the other hand, Team Kakashi only had a couple of missions, mostly C ranked, since they had an agreement with the Hokage – they wanted to have as much time to spare with Sasuke Uchiha, who was being constantly watched by Anbu Black Ops. At first, Tsunade was reluctant to allow them such a stubborn desire, but Naruto, as always, was able to convince her with his _loudmouth idiocy. _For a couple of days, Team Kakashi was unable to adapt to being monitored by the Anbu cops, especially Kakashi and Sai, but after a couple of days, they seemed to relax to the Uchiha's living conditions at Konoha.

"I still wonder how Sasuke-kun can live through that." – said Sakura one night at Ichiraku Ramen. That day the pink haired kunoichi had decided to pay a morning visit to Sasuke. _He must be asleep, but it wouldn't hurt if I prepare him some breakfast. After all, they say that to conquer a man you've to conquer his stomach first, right? Hehe. _She walked through the streets of Konoha with a white daisy in hand, and a smile plastered on her face towards the Uchiha Compound. Most of the Villagers who were already starting their daily activities stared and whispered behind her back, some of them even glared at her with full hatred. _Sasuke-kun… _She knew, thanks to Tsunade's warnings, that they were mostly talking about Sasuke Uchiha and how she, along with the rest of her teammates and Hinata, brought back the last Uchiha.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. It's Sasuke-teme we're talking about, he will be fine." – said Naruto, with a reassuring grin on his face as he slurped down the rest of his tenth bowl of ramen. Sai slightly nodded with a sincere, yet small smile on his face.

Trying to calm herself, Sakura fought down the tears and whispered:

"How can you say that?" – she asked to no one in particular. She glared at them, especially Naruto, loudly stood up from her seat and yelled: "Sasuke-kun is not fine! He's suffering… and you… you just shrug it off and even call yourself his friend!"

Without looking back at them, Sakura left the ramen stand, pushing someone to the ground with her brute force and walking away into the night's darkness. Naruto and Sai had stood up from their place and stared at Sakura's retreating form. The blonde was about to go after her to apologize and maybe even come up with a plan that would help Sasuke be accepted in the Village again, but he heard a loud groan and a loud and familiar voice that yelled towards them:

"Sakura can be a real drama queen, uh? I'm so relieved that Hinata is my teammate."

"Kiba?" – asked Naruto in astonishment, while Sai helped Kiba recover his balance, after falling to the ground because of Sakura's wrath attack.

"Heh, the same one. Long time no see, Naruto!" – said the brunette, with a wolfy grin on his face, followed by a loud bark coming from Akamaru.

* * *

As sun rose in Konoha, Hinata walked through a small path in the woods, searching for a couple of flowers for her mother's grave. She silently hummed and twirled contently, it had been a long time since she was able to rest. _Two weeks without missions… Kaa-san must have felt lonely without me around._

Following her performance in the last Retrieval Mission of Sasuke Uchiha with Team Kakashi, Team Kurenai found themselves absorbed in missions concerning missing ninjas for almost a month. The Hokage had explained that she couldn't afford sending out Jonins with the current Akatsuki menace over the village, especially if the requests she received were false or traps.

"_And I also believe that it would be a great training for you, Team Kurenai." – said the Hokage to the three Chunnin, who were accompanied by their teacher Kurenai and her one year old son, Asuma. _

"_Heh and you also need high ranked ninjas to deal with Sasuke, right?" – said Kiba, with a wide grin plastered on his face._

_The Hokage intertwined her hands and rested her chin on them, with a slight smile on her face: "That's right, we don't know if we can already trust him."_

"_H-He will be f-fine, H-Hokage-sama…" – whispered Hinata, with a slight frown on her face. __**After all, he's one of Naruto-kun's precious people…Naruto-kun will surely take care of him.**_

"_I hope so Hinata…" – whispered the Hokage, before continuing - "Yosh! You may leave when you're ready, Team Kurenai."_

"_Hai!" – called out Kiba, Shino, and Hinata in unison._

A stern, yet gentle voice resounded in her mind. "_Well done, Hinata", _her father had said after the successful retrieval of Sasuke Uchiha. She smiled happily and closed her eyes with relaxation. Suddenly, she felt a powerful presence, but, before she could silently activate her Byakugan to investigate who was watching her from the shadows, a hoarse whisper came from a nearby tree.

"Hmph… relaxing, Hyuuga?" _What a coincidence… My first day without any spies and I encounter her…_

She opened her eyes and slightly smiled towards the tree where the famous Sasuke Uchiha sat on a branch.

"I g-guess you enjoy the silence too, r-right… Uchiha-san?"

"Hn."

After that, both of them relaxed in the forest's silence, only listening to the small sounds the forest's nature did. An annoyed Sasuke descended from the tree and glared at the blue haired kunoichi, as she picked a couple of flowers. _She reminds me so much of kaa-san... _Sasuke was absorbed by the enchanting view that Hinata formed as she picked up flowers. When he was younger, her mother, Mitoko Uchiha, used to do the same and she clearly enjoyed pressing flowers.

_"They will make the house look even more colorful, Sasuke-chan." - said his mother, with a wide, yet gentle smile on her face._

Sensing his gaze on her, Hinata started feeling nervous, wondering if he hated her for bringing him back to Konoha for _my precious Naruto-kun's sake. _Suddenly, a white camellia appeared before her face, held by a pale, yet strong hand. She looked at the Uchiha's face, noticing a slight, yet almost unnoticeable pink blush on his cheeks.

"Here" – he said, grasping her right hand with his left one and placing the flower on her empty hand. "Take it." _What am I doing?_

Her face turned as read as a tomato at the sudden contact with the Uchiha's hand. Hinata turned her face away from the raven haired. He sighed with desperation and started walking away, halting to the sound of her small voice, astounding him and even allowing a small and sincere smile appear on his face, something he hadn't done in a long time.

"Arigatou… Sasuke-san."

* * *

After her small encounter with Sasuke, Hinata walked towards the graveyard with the small bouquet of flowers she had recollected in the forest. She approached the familiar tombstone and knelt before it, leaving the flowers on top of her mother's tombstone. She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, praying for her mother's soul and talking to her about how her life currently was. She talked to her about Naruto, as always, and even a little about Sasuke and her encounter with him at the woods.

"He was the one who picked the white camellia for you, kaa-san."

"_Look, Hinata-chan. Isn't this flower beautiful?" – whispered her mother to her. She gazed at the flower with amazement._

"_Kawaii, kaa-san! What's the name of that flower?" – whispered a five year old, Hinata._

"_This, Hinata-chan," – said her mother with a slight smile on her face. She caressed the soft petals of the white flower and continued – "is a white camellia. They're very special and unique, don't you think?"_

"_Hai! Camellia… is this flower your favorite, kaa-san?" – asked the blue haired girl, who watched the flower with curious eyes._

"_Yes, Hinata-chan, it is."_

"_Then, I will find you thousands, even million of camellias just for you, kaa-san." – grinned Hinata. Haruka's smile stretched on her face, as she started tickling Hinata's belly and laughing loudly with her._

"_I bet you will, Hinata-chan."_

"I…I'm sorry I haven't fulfilled my promise, kaa-san…" – whispered Hinata, tears falling down her face. She closed her eyes and allowed the smile of her mother to calm her down, as it used to do.

The cold breeze carried, once again, the sound of that strong, yet gentle voice that whispered her name.

"Hinata." – whispered the voice from behind her. She took deep breaths and turned around, expecting to see no one in particular behind her. She was surprised to see the familiar ninja she had met while wandering in the forest.

_Did he call me Hinata?_

* * *

**Last Chapter's FAQ: Why did Sasuke easily went back to Konoha with Team Kakashi? **

**A: Well, Sasuke went back because of the mystery that revolves around Hinata and his dreams. Also, he notices a resemblance between his mother and her, which adds more spice to the mystery. **

**A/N: For now, this is all I can say.**

**I hope to read about you soon! I hope you guys review "Separate Worlds"! Your reviews make me smile everytime, so please don't stop sending them!**

**~ Melody of Perdition**


	6. Confused Hearts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. They're all property of Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Hey Guys! I know, I know... I uploaded faster this time! In case you're wondering why, it's because I've been receiving your reviews! Each and everyone of them made me so happy. ARIGATO GOZAIMASU! -bows-**

**And off, we go!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Confused Hearts**

* * *

"S-Sasuke-san?" – whispered Hinata, her pearl eyed gaze failing to escape from the black pools that stared at her in silence. _What is he doing here? Now he must think that I'm really pathetic… and weak._

Neither of them said a word for a long period of time. It seemed that Sasuke's presence caused her to feel weak and awkward, just like her father's stern gaze did. She gazed into those hollow and empty black eyes that held, to her astonishment, two emotions she knew deep in her heart – loneliness and longing. His eyes seemed to have lost their focus in real life, in her, in the graveyard in which both of them had encountered each other one more time that same day. Sasuke's soul drifted back into a merrier past, where he felt loved by his family, especially his mother. But no one knew, no one understood what he felt deep in his heart, until he was surprised at the words the Hyuuga's sweet and gentle voice carried:

"You l-lost someone t-too, ne?" – she silenced herself, waiting for an answer from the tranquil Uchiha. After a couple of minutes, she turned her attention towards her mother's tombstone and continued: - "I… I lost my kaa-san when I was very young. When she parted away, I felt lonely and hated by my father. He truly loved her, but when she d-died, he started being cold and distant… and harsh with me. You might say I'm not alone like y-you, Sasuke-san, but it feels like it. Most of the c-clan members hate me for being weak. I – I truly miss her." – She closed her eyes and whispered, a couple of tears running down her cheeks: "I t-truly miss y-you, k-kaa-san…"

They remained in silence for a couple of minutes, each lost in their own thoughts, before Sasuke muttered:

"You're not weak."

Hinata turned around, expecting to see Sasuke behind her, but was surprised when she noticed that the Uchiha was kneeling beside her, gazing at her mother's tombstone. Hinata timidly turned her attention to her mother's grave and slightly smiled. She felt relief wash over her entire body with Sasuke's company in the silent graveyard on a sunny day at Konoha.

_Sasuke-san... Thank you for being here with me._

_Who would've thought... Hinata Hyuuga understands me more than anyone else. _- Thought Sasuke, as he recalled his mother's caring and beautiful smile. He glanced at Hinata only to notice that she was wearing such an enchanting smile that made him lose his composture. _Why does she resemble kaa-san so much? Why her?_

"Hinata."

"Nani, Sasuke-san?" - whispered Hinata happily.

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto sat unusually quiet in his usual stool at Ichiraku's Ramen stand. The ramen shopkeeper and his daughter stared at the blonde's lost gaze and still figure.

"Heh, Naruto! Come on, your ramen is getting cold!"

"Yeah, Naruto-kun! What's wrong with you today? By now you would've already eaten 20 bowls of ramen."

"Maybe even 30, Ayame-chan!"

Both of them started laughing, but Naruto remained silent, lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly, he stood up, left the money from the ramen he had eaten in the counter, and left without saying a word.

He walked through Konoha's streets, his hand resting inside his pockets and his face showing sadness and confusion.

_Sakura-chan… where are you?_

After she left the ramen stand the night before, Naruto hadn't seen nor tried to look for Sakura. He had guessed that she would run to Sasuke's arms, but was very confused when the Uchiha wasn't at his house early in the morning when he tried looking for him.

_Sasuke-teme… are you with Sakura-chan?_

Suddenly, many images starting traveling through his mind. Images where Sakura and Sasuke were together, holding hands, kissing, talking sweet to each other. He tried making them disappear, but couldn't help it.

_Sakura-chan, why did you chose him? That teme!_

Suddenly, a heart breaking image stood before him.

Naruto stood before an older version of Sakura and Sasuke. Both of them were holding hands to a small, raven haired child. The little kid was grinning and talking about his first day at the academy.

"_And then the Iruka-sensei complimented me! He said I had kaa-san's intelligence and otto-san's jutsu ability! But that's obvious, I have the best mom and dad, right?"_

"_Of course, Itachi-kun." – smiled sweetly Sakura at her little child._

"_Hmph, you should credit yourself more, Itachi. It's not because of genes, but because you are eager to become the best." – said Sasuke, smirking at the raven haired child._

"_You're right, otto-san! I want to be the best! I want to work with you, otto-san, at Konoha's Military Police! I want to make both of you proud of me!" – said Itachi, leaving his parents' grasp and running around the Uchiha compound._

"_I bet you will, Itachi-kun." – whispered Sakura._

"_You've already made us proud, Itachi." – said Sasuke, who grabbed Sakura's hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek._

"N-Naruto-kun, are you all right?" – whispered a gentle voice, interrupting his thoughts from going any further. Absentmindedly, he turned his gaze to meet with a pair of concerned, pearled eyes.

"Hinata! What are you doing here?!" – he asked, standing up from the bench in which he had sat moments ago.

"Hmph, she was worried, baka." – said Sasuke's annoyed voice.

Naruto stared at them for a couple of minutes, unable to believe that Uchiha Sasuke seemed to have taken a liking towards Hyuuga Hinata. Sasuke had his arms crossed before his chest, and an arching eyebrow gazing at him quizzically. Meanwhile, Hinata had a slight pink blush on her cheeks and her eyes were staring intently at her poking fingers. _Sasuke-teme… and Hinata?_

"Baka! Are you there?" – asked the raven haired, who was starting to lose his nerves. _What is that baka looking at? _

"Naruto-kun, are you all right?" – whispered the Hyuuga, who continued poking her fingers, incapable of looking directly into Naruto's azure eyes who started at her with wonder.

_Nah, it can't be! They're complete opposites, heh!_

"I'm all right, Hinata! Don't worry about me!" – he exclaimed, full of energy and happiness. _At least someone doesn't like him more than me! Hehe! _Suddenly, he remembered Sakura crying the night before and said, scratching the back of his face: - "Oh, that's right! Teme, have you seen Sakura-chan?"

"Sakura?" – asked Sasuke, completely oblivious to Hinata's downcast eyes. _So he still cares about Sakura-san… _

"Yup! Yesterday, she got mad at me and Sai, and I haven't seen her since then and I thought…" – said Naruto, who was interrupted by the Uchiha's cold voice:

"Hmph, it's not my problem."

"B-But…" – started complaining the blonde, but was, once again, interrupted by Sasuke.

"No buts! Let's go, Hinata." – he said, grasping Hinata's hand and walking away from Naruto.

As they walked away, Naruto stared at their joined hands, and at Sasuke's quickening and confident pace.

_Sasuke-teme… and Hinata… _

Naruto grasped the left side of his chest with his right hand, hurt invading his entire being at the thought of Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga together.

_Why does it hurt so much? I love Sakura-chan, don't I?_

Behind a tree that stood beside the aching blonde, tears streamed down Sakura Haruno's face as she was witnessed Sasuke and Hinata's close relationship, while realizing that she was also losing Naruto little by little.

_Naruto... _

_Sasuke-kun..._

* * *

**Well guys, this is the end of Chapter 6: Confused Hearts. Hope you liked it! For Last Chapter's Question, I received this one that I consider important for all of you to know, since it basically involves why Sasuke went back to Konoha in this fanfic.**

**By Katsheswims: "In this story, has Sasuke killed Itachi? I can't really see him coming back yet if he hasn't."**

**A: Yes, Sasuke has already killed Itachi. Actually, this chapter takes place after Itachi vs Sasuke Arc. If Sasuke hadn't accomplished his own mission in life, which was to kill Itachi, it wouldn't make any sense for Sasuke to return to Konoha. We'll see more about Sasuke's feelings towards Itachi in upcoming chapters!**

**That's it for now, please review! I hope you guys review "Separate Worlds", with your comments, doubts, encouragement, etc! Your reviews make me smile and laugh, so please don't stop sending them! I'm so grateful to you!**

**~Melody of Perdition**


	7. Letting go?

**Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto is the rightful owner of Naruto merchandise, names, setting, etc.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Letting go?**

"_**Holding hands or letting go. Happiness or Blessings."**_

* * *

They continued walking in silence towards the Hyuuga compound, neither of them was able to articulate a single word. Both Sasuke and Hinata continued being completely submerged in their own thoughts.

Hinata managed to continue following Sasuke without spilling anymore depressed tears. After all, she had just witnessed another episode of Naruto's attention towards Sakura. Hinata didn't understand how something so simple could hurt so much. _I just wish I was her… being loved by Naruto-kun in that way would make me so happy. Why can't Sakura-chan cherish Naruto-kun? She should feel lucky…_

Without her noticing, Sasuke came into a halt in the middle of the wide street, making her bump into his broad back. She apologized profusely to the raven haired, bowed, and entered the Hyuuga compound silently.

Sasuke stood outside her house in deep thought. He wasn't an expert when it came to girls, but he knew something was bothering the Hyuuga, especially after their meeting with the Uzumaki. Even he, someone who didn't care about the gossip at the Ninja Academy, had heard about the Hyuuga's never ending crush on the blonde. Even after all those years, he's still glad to know that not every girl in Konoha was one of his fan girls, whom had lost their minds with his good lucks and mysterious attitude.

Deep inside him, he knew it bothered him to lose against the Uzumaki in the heart of a girl that was interesting to him. But, as most of his thoughts that bothered him, he pushed it away and walked towards his deathly silent home – the Uchiha Compound.

_Hmph, whatever…_

* * *

Calmly, Hinata walked towards her room without losing her composure in front of her father or Hanabi, her sister, who were practicing taijutsu in the garden and noticed her arrive. She gently closed the door and climbed the bed, covering herself and her muffled cries with the covers of her bed.

She couldn't help but cry until falling deep asleep, every sorrow Naruto Uzumaki involved needed to leave her fragile body in some way.

As she drowned in her tears, she remembered every smile, every word, and those beautiful cerulean blue eyes that Naruto represented. She remembered her numerous encounters, especially the one before the final matches four years ago…

_

* * *

_

_Flashback_

_Hinata stared into space, gazing at the three logs that stood__ in the middle of the training area. __**I couldn't defeat him… and, from what Kiba-kun told me, Naruto-kun fights with him on the first match… Will Naruto-kun be all right? **_

_Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts: _

"_Hinata, you're all right now?"_

_**Huh?**_

_Unconsciously, Hinata quickly hid herself behind one of the logs, and blushed at the sight of her long-time crush. _

"_Na-Na-Naruto-kun… Why… are you here…? Isn't today the finals…"_

"_Well… I just came to check out this practice field, since this is the place is became a genin…"- he sighed._

_Hinata blushed and held tighter to the log to avoid fainting in front of him. _

"_O-Oh, why"_

_Naruto, rudely responded, closing his eyes and frowning:_

"…_Nothing!! Who cares?!"_

_The Hyuuga whispered softly, her eyes falling down to the floor, looking apologetic: _

"_Oh… Oh, yeah… sorry…"_

_Naruto sighed with depression and Hinata couldn't help stare at him with worry. __**What's wrong with him? Why does he seem so… unlike Naruto-kun?**_

_Suddenly, the blonde spoke softly, staring at her with a serious expression:_

"_Hinata… Neji's a relative of yours, right?"_

_Her eyes fell down to the floor as she agreed. __**Neji-ni-san… is his rival…**_

"_He's strong, right?" _

"_Yeah…"_

_She gazed at him and noticed the depression that had befallen on him. __**I can't stand him watching him like this! **__Hinata gathered enough courage to continue:_

"_B-But… you might be able to beat him, Naruto-kun…" – at this point, Hinata lowered her voice and allowed her eyes to fall on the floor again. - "b-because…"_

"_HAHAHA! YEAH! I'm really strong!" – Naruto grinned and interrupted her, his arms folding behind his head._

"_Haha…" – his grin dropped until a dead silence fell between them. _

_The blue haired kunoichi stared at him as she poked her fingers together and her blush becoming more intense as she said:_

"_Oh… umm… when you cheered me up… I felt like I had become stronger… after the prelims ended, I started liking myself a little more…"- her eyes fell to the floor again, a small grin gracing her features as she continued. – "To other people it may not seem like I changed but… I… felt like I was able to change…"_

_She suddenly remembered how confident and strong she felt during her fight against Neji. __**I don't go back on my words… that's also my ninja way…**_

_She needed to say it to him, to let him know how she was grateful to him._

"_It was thanks to you, Naruto-kun… is what I think…" – she smiled at him, her unique blush never leaving her face as she gazed the blonde's face._

"_Ahh! Thanks to me, eh? Yeah, I'm very influential, hehe…" – he grinned at her, feeling slightly happier than before after listening to the Hyuuga's words. _

_Suddenly, a serious expression reached Naruto's face, taking by surprise the Hyuuga heiress._

"_Hey Hinata… did you really think that?"_

"_Huh?" __**What is it? Why is he so serious…? Naruto-kun…**_

_He gulped and continued:_

"_I may appear to be strong, but… that's because I act all tough, because I'm so frustrated from always failing…"- his sad eyes stared at the ground, his face no longer had the enchanting smile Hinata loved gracing his features._

"_That's not true… even when you always fail…" – the small whisper from the Hyuuga interrupted his thoughts. "In my eyes… you're a proud failure!"- Hinata smiled, surprising Naruto with her unusual statement._

"_When I look at you I get an intense feeling in my heart… because you're not perfect…" – she poked her fingers together, a small smile still gracing her features and her eyes finding the ground more interesting once again.- "Because you fail… you have the strength to get back up… because I believe that's what true strength is… I… I think you are an incredibly strong person, Naruto-kun…" – she finished, trying to hide even more behind the log she stood next to._

_Naruto smiled, his confidence returning to him after the Hyuuga's supporting words. _

"_Thanks, Hinata. Earlier I was feeling uncharacteristically depressed but… now I feel great!" – He yelled, his arms rising towards the sky with his fists. _

_Suddenly, he continued as he walked away with a grin on his face… "You know, about you… I…"_

"_Huh?"- The surprised Hinata stared after him, intensely expecting to hear anything he was about to say. _

"_Thought you were… a plain looking, dark weirdo…"_

"…" _**Naruto-kun…**_

_He continued walking and whispered to her before disappearing out of her sight: "But… a person like you… I really like!" _

_Her blush intensified at what he said. __**Naruto-kun likes me!**_

_Suddenly he turned around and grinned at her: "Well, I'm off to the exam. You better come watch me kick that Neji guy's ass!!! Later! "_

_He walked off, leaving a dumbstruck, day-dreaming Hinata._

_End of flashback_

* * *

_That day, I felt so happy. _– Whimpered Hinata, as she hugged her pillow tighter. – _After that, I thought I would have a little chance with Naruto-kun…_

Suddenly, a shock of pain spread throughout her entire being, not allowing her to think or even try to forget. She became submerged in the constant pain she had to endure at the sight of Naruto and his love struck attitude.

"_**Oh, that's right! Teme, have you seen Sakura-chan?"**_

_It's always about Sakura-chan…._

"_**Sakura-chan! Want to go on a date with me?"**_

_Why can't you notice me, Naruto-kun?_

"_**Sakura-chan! Let's go and eat ramen!"**_

_Please… look at me… at lease once…_

After a while, the Hyuuga heiress was able to forget the pain that lingered in her heart in her real life. The pain of being ignored by her own father, the pain of not having her mother next to her, the pain of her sister and cousin being stronger than her, and the worst pain of all – the pain of not being loved by that special one.

In her dreams, Hinata was able to forget about all the pain she had to endure thanks to a single image – the beauty of a white camellia.

* * *

It was midnight and Sakura Haruno was still wandering around the streets of Konoha. Her thoughts revolving both of her team mates, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, as well as the Hyuuga heiress, Hinata. She knew Hinata had always liked the blonde, but she still couldn't understand why she had been with Sasuke during the afternoon and why he seemed so calm next to her.

_Why doesn't he push her away?_

Suddenly, she noticed that the object of her affections was walking towards her. He seemed unaware of her presence until she stood before him, a small smile and her expectant green eyes resting on him.

"Sakura." – He whispered, with his hoarse, yet calm voice.

"Sasuke-kun…" – The pink haired kunoichi whispered in acknowledgement with a slight blush on her face.

"What are you doing out here? It's late." – He said, lecturing her. _Hmph, how troublesome. I was looking for some calmness and I find her. This is just great…_

"I was thinking." – She whispered softly, something that caught him off guard.

"Hn." – He signaled for her to continue. This calm side of her was unusual for him. _Who knew she could be silent enough… She's really grown._

"You… Are you… interested in Hinata?" – She whispered, her eyes resting on her feet. _He must hate me… He will surely walk away now… I know him… He hates it when I talk about something like this. Now that I think of it, why am I so worried? It's just Hinata, for heaven's sake._

His response was what she wasn't expecting.

"I don't know."

He said, as he walked away, with his hands on his pockets and his gaze on the starry sky, towards the Uchiha Compound.

_Sasuke-kun…_

As Sakura walked towards her home and got ready to sleep, she found herself pondering on what Sasuke's answer meant. While tossing and turning on her bed, the pink haired kunoichi clutched the sheets of her bed as she glared at the darkness that surrounded her.

_I won't give up! I love him… I need him…_

The grin of her knucklehead team mate appeared on her mind. She always appreciated his feelings towards her, but she had already chosen who the one she loved was. _I'm sorry, Naruto. It seems I still love Sasuke-kun._

"_I'm sorry." _Those were the last words that escaped her lips as she drifted off to sleep with a dreamless journey waiting for her.

* * *

The next day, Hinata woke up feeling drained. She didn't feel the strength to climb off bed, but she had made a promise to Sasuke Uchiha.

"_**Tomorrow. Training grounds. 9 am. Don't be late!"**_– His words resounded on the back of her mind. _**"And bring something to eat."**_

She sighed, wondering how her training with Sasuke Uchiha would turn out. At least, she knew she wouldn't have time to think about her long-time crush, Naruto Uzumaki.

And his cerulean, blue eyes.

And his bright smile…

_Ahh! I can't keep doing this! I'm going to be late and Sasuke-san…_

She reached for the shower and allowed the cold water to calm her insides. Deep inside her, she knew she had to give up on Naruto, since his love towards the pink haired kunoichi was strong enough to make her heart feel a shock of pain, but enough to make her see that he wanted Sakura, not her. That if he was going to be happy, he wanted to be next to Sakura in the future.

She sighed and got dressed in her blue pants and unique lavender sweatshirt for a rough day with the Uchiha. She walked to the kitchen and prepared a couple of bentos, which consisted of _Glazed meatballs, chicken croquettes with tomato sauce, curry, apple slices, and sushi rolls. She enjoyed cooking, especially when it was for someone else. Her mother had taught her many things while alive, but the most important thing was cooking._

* * *

_Flashback_

_"Kaa-san?" – asked an eight year old Hinata to her mother who stood in the middle of the kitchen, preparing dinner._

_"What is it, darling?" – asked her mother, with a wide smile on her face as she gazed into a familiar lavender eyes._

_"Do you like cooking?" – asked the curious child to her grinning mother._

_"Why do you ask so, Hinata-chan?"_

_"Well, you're always smiling and humming when you're cooking. Do you like it?"_

_Her mother stared at her for a couple of minutes, before responding with a slight smile on her face. She grasped her daughter's shoulders and whispered._

_"This is my secret, Hinata-chan. So you've to keep it for me, ok? You can't tell anyone. Do you promise?" – said her mother, the enchanting smile always gracing her features._

_"I promise kaa-san!" – Sweetly smiled to her mother, her example._

_"When I cook, do you notice that your father and sister are very happy?" – She paused until her daughter nodded excitedly, eager to know the secret. "Well, that's my secret."_

_"Uh? I don't understand it… kaa-san…"_

_Hinata's mother giggled before explaining it to her: "I cook to make everyone happy."_

_End of Flashback_

_I hope Sasuke-san likes i__t. _

* * *

_She smiled, as she packed their bentos and reached for the doorknob, ready for anything that Sasuke Uchiha might throw at her. She knew, by the way she felt as she cooked to the raven haired ninja, that to let go of Naruto Uzumaki it was better to drain herself of any time while training with the last Uchiha._

_Sasuke-kun… understands me just a little, doesn't he?_

_She thought, as she made her way towards the training grounds to meet with her own destiny. _

* * *

**Phew, 6 pages in words! I know some of you might hate me for the flashback, but I really think it was nice to add, especially since it's one of the most important moments between the NaruHina relationship. What I wanted to emphasize with this chapter is the difference between Sakura and Hinata, hope you can comment on it! **

_**Q: **__**In the last chapter, Naruto imagined Sasuke and Sakura's son to be named after Itachi. Why?**_

_**A: Well, that's because of the truth that hid behind the Uchiha Massacre. For more information, you need to follow up the manga. I won't say what Sasuke learned about Itachi so I won't spoil anything, but if you're curious, you should check it out.**_

**Thanks to all of those who reviewed, added to their favorites or alerts, and read! I really appreciate it guys! Hope you continue sending me your feedback, it's really important for me.**

**~ Melody of Perdition**

**P.S. Please be sure to check out the new poll that's posted on my profile!**


	8. Close

**Disclaimer: ****If I owned Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke would end up together… BAZINGA! I'm just kidding, he belongs to Hinata!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 8****: Close**

"_**We can't return to the past, yet we can't see what is ahead of us"**_

* * *

A kunai missed her head by a few inches as she ducked down to avoid the contact with a second flying kunai that aimed to her chest. Her feet felt heavy as she tried to find a hiding spot to form a plan against her rival. Five hours had gone by since they had started their training and Hinata found herself feeling dizzy. Even with the small recess they allowed each other after finishing an activity, Hinata felt drained, even more than she had felt after waking up. As she looked around using her Byakugan to spot her sparring partner, a cold sharp metal touched her neck, while an arm held her by the waist, immobilizing her. Her breath got caught as she felt a warm, yet stable breathing caress her right cheek.

"Caught you" – whispered the husky, yet gentle voice that belonged to Sasuke Uchiha. With their bodies entangled with each other, Hinata couldn't help but blush deep red as she felt Sasuke's strong arm surrounding her waist, holding her tight. _I feel so… safe… _She closed her eyes, relaxing in the warmth of his arms. _I've never felt this way… not even when I'm with… _

The raven haired ninja, on the other hand, couldn't leave his grasp on the Hyuuga. He felt he had been hypnotized by her, her scent that flew right into his nose and the warmth that escaped from her curvaceous body. _Lavender… _He felt intoxicated with her, needing her… wanting more from her. His breath started to accelerate as he felt a tingling sensation run through his body and as he allowed his thoughts to run freely. He felt an urge to touch her… hug her… kiss her… possess her.

He nervously gulped as he realized what he intended to do. With all the inner strength he could muster, his grip on her loosened, allowing her to move freely. He slowly walked towards the clearing they had been using earlier, his gaze never turning to look back at her. Hinata was finally able to breathe normally, but her heart felt slightly _disappointed_. She gazed at the retreating form of the last Uchiha and sighed, her hands nervously grasping the hem of the sleeves of her lilac jacket.

She woke up from her daze as she realized the Uchiha was walking away, leaving her alone in the middle of the forest. She caught up with him and they walked towards a tall tree that stood in the middle of the clearing. They sat up in silence, neither of them knowing what to say to the other after the moment they had shared at the end of their training. Hinata's face was adorned with a slight blush as she took out the bentos she had prepared for them. Sasuke watched with her with a slight on his face and his arms crossed over his chest.

Unexpectedly, the Hyuuga was the first one to break the awkward silence:

"Ano… I-I prepared this f-for you, S-Sasuke-san…" – she whispered, her trembling hands holding the packed bento and a pair of chopsticks in the Uchiha's direction.

"Hn… Thanks." – He said, taking the bento and resting it on his lap while he took his chopsticks. Hinata did the same as he with a soft smile on her face and a light blush adorning her cheeks. _I hope he likes it. _Together, they clasped their hands together, muttered _"Itadakimasu" _and started eating silently.

Sasuke's reaction to the white eyed kunoichi's food was unseen by her. His eyes widened as he enjoyed the Hyuuga's amazing ability to cook. Hinata's homemade chicken meatballs with tomato sauce triggered the Uchiha's memories with his family, especially his mother.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_An 8 year old Sasuke walked towards his home, fuming and kicking everything that stood in his way. The other Uchihas gazed at him with worrying eyes, as they followed his every movement through the main street of the Uchiha Compound. They all guessed that Sasuke had had a bad day, bad enough to make him be that pissed off. They sighed, feeling sympathetic for the boy. _

"_Surely it has to do with Itachi or his father." – Many of them whispered behind his back._

_Angrily, Sasuke walked faster until he reached his home, trying to escape from the gossip and pity eyes. As he entered his house, his mother appeared from a corner and smiled at him, unaware of Sasuke's feelings. The raven haired boy walked away from her and retreated to his room, closing the door behind him. He curled into a tiny ball in his bed, hugging with his small arms the fluffy pillow that comforted him. The door opened silently and his mother, Mikoto, sat next to him, her hand caressing his raven haired locks. _

"_Sasuke? What's wrong?" – She whispered softly, her eyes never leaving her son's hidden face. He said something into his pillow, which sounded like "Go away", not even looking back at her. She sighed and walked towards the door, her gaze never leaving her younger son's form. After a couple of minutes, Mikoto returned with a food tray on her hands. The scent of tomato flew into the room and Sasuke couldn't resist the temptation – he looked towards her._

"_I prepared your favorite, Sasuke!" – She smiled happily at him as he hopped out of bed and sat before his desk in which rested the food tray his mother had prepared for him. He grinned happily as he took his chopsticks and started eating the chicken meatballs his mother had prepared for him._

"_Thanks, kaa-san" – whispered the younger version of Sasuke, who hugged her mother tightly after finishing his meal. _

_She hugged him back and both of them sat at the end of the bed, her hands resting on her lap and a quizzical look adorning features. "Now, Sasuke… tell me. What happened?"_

_Sasuke sighed and said: _

"_It's those girls mom! They bombarded me today!" – He exclaimed feeling utterly annoyed at the recall of the morning's events._

_His mother laughed and ruffled his raven haired locks, before standing up, picking up the food tray and walking towards the door. She looked back at him and smiled softly:_

"_Well, what did you expect? It's Valentine's day, Sasuke." _

_Sasuke frowned and walked behind her, following her as she walked to the kitchen, his hands waving back and forth as he told his mother the morning's events at the Academy._

"… _I won't let them do it again, kaa-san! I'm going to skip classes on Valentine's Day!" – He exclaimed feeling irritated as he noticed her mother only laughed harder as he continued with his antics. _

_**End of Flashback**_

* * *

"Sasuke-san? A-Are you ok?" – The Hyuuga whispered softly, shaking his shoulder slightly, trying to wake him up from anything that caused a complete emptiness in his eyes. Every small indication of life had disappeared from his dark pools after he tasted one of the meatballs she had prepared for him. She continued shaking him, expecting for any response that he was all right. She didn't care if he yelled at her or even left her alone, she just wanted him to do something. _Anything! Sasuke-san…_

But suddenly, what she didn't expect occurred - she sat Sasuke's lap, his arms holding her tightly close to him. Her chin rested on top of his left shoulder, while his arms hugged her tightly. She nervously gulped, it was the second time they embraced each other that particular day. _But… this feels different… Sasuke-san… is suffering._

Hinata tried with all her strength to return the embrace and, when she finally was able to move her arms, she clutched the Uchiha close to her. _He needs me… _She closed her eyes, relaxing in the embrace, letting one of her hands caress his raven haired locks, while she mumbled comforting words into his ear. She didn't need to know what was wrong with Sasuke, but all she wanted was for him to feel better.

They sat there, in the middle of the clearing, embraced to each other for a while, their forgotten bentos lying right beside them. Neither of them noticed the presence of someone else that stared at them from a nearby bush at the end of the clearing.

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto sat at Ichiraku's ramen, slurping furiously a bowl of his favorite ramen next to Sai, whom the blonde had bumped into at the Hokage's Tower. After Sasuke returned, the blonde had started his training to become the next Hokage in line, especially after receiving the support from most people in Konoha, who had witnessed his power as a ninja.

"I never thought it would be this hard!" – exclaimed Naruto to Sai after having gulped down his last bowl of ramen and ordered a miso ramen to the old guy.

Sai's mysterious smile appeared on his face and he said: "But, it's all worthwhile Naruto-kun… you're close to your dream now."

"Yeah… you are right, Sai. I shouldn't complain." – He said as he started eating his steaming hot miso ramen that the owner from the shop had placed right before him. – "I wonder where Sakura-chan is… I've been looking for her. I was hoping for a date… hehe."

Sai gazed at Naruto for a few minutes, studying Naruto's features changing from happiness to disappointment to sadness. The raven haired ninja sighed, his left hand resting on Naruto's back with reassurance. _The book I read said I have to do this if one of my friends is feeling down._

The blonde smiled at his comrade and slowly continued eating his meal, his thoughts never leaving the pink haired kunoichi. When he finished he sighed and turned to his friend, trying to find the right words to say what was on occupying in his mind.

"Hey Sai… in the books you read… does it say what do when the girl you like loves one of your best friends?"

The raven haired's mysterious smiled made once again an appearance as he shook his head. Naruto's depressed face and deep sigh made Sai continue:

"But, you shouldn't lose hope, Naruto-kun. I don't think Sasuke-san likes Sakura-san." – He whispered, his smile never fading.

That small statement from his friend was strong enough to cheer the blonde back up. _He's right! Sasuke-teme has never liked Sakura-chan! Dattebayo! _With a grin on his face, he continued talking to Sai about one of his most recent and dangerous missions, making sure the spotlight always was on him and not in his best friend and eternal rival – Sasuke Uchiha.

His loud laughs and the cheery mood that surrounded the Ramen stand, no one noticed a pink haired kunoichi running away with a trail of tears falling down her cheeks. Every villager in Konoha stared after her, worrying over the fragile state in which the young medic kunoichi was in. Even Ino and Tenten, who stood outside the Yamanaka flower shop, tried to stop her, but it didn't help. All of them assumed it had something to do with Sasuke Uchiha, her never ending crush, and they were right.

She had seen Sasuke hold Hinata Hyuuga so tight.

Sakura didn't know what do after witnessing their long embrace. Even after reaching the top of the Hokage monument, she couldn't erase the tears that escaped her eyes or the confusion that clouded her mind.

_They were so close to each other! I can't believe it! Why does Sasuke-kun like her? Why can't he like me? Why can't he choose me? He knows I l__ove him… Why then?_

The image of her blonde friend appeared on her mind. She couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself. She knew of Naruto's feelings towards her and all she kept worrying about was Sasuke Uchiha. _But I can't help it… I feel I'm losing him to Hinata. _Her train of thought returned to the Hyuuga heiress. She had seen how the white eyed kunoichi responded Sasuke's hug. She saw her caress his raven hair and her arm holding Sasuke tightly. _I thought Hinata loved Naruto… _

She continued crumbling down, her arms surrounding her legs while her chin rested on top of her knees. As the sun started to set down in the horizon, Sakura Haruno continued seeing Sasuke's eyes that had tattooed themselves on her heart, threatening to never leave her.

* * *

The sun was starting to set when Sasuke walked Hinata back to the Hyuuga Compound. After their embrace, neither had said a word other than how training had been or anything that didn't approached the topic of the last Uchiha's sudden change of mood while they were eating. Both of them tried to stop thinking about it, but neither of them could help it. As the Hyuuga Compound came into view, both of them stopped in the middle of the street and gazed each other.

"Look…"

"S-Sasuke-san…"

They stared at each other in the awkward silence that embraced them once more. Neither of them knew what they were supposed to say as they stared into each others eyes. Neither of them noticed their faces approaching each other. Neither of them noticed how their noses touched each other.

Neither of them noticed, nor cared how it happened. All they knew was that they enjoyed the feeling of their lips touching and the warmth it irradiated that traveled through their bodies, sending a small tingling sensation down their spines. Sasuke didn't notice when one of his arms hugged Hinata by the waist, while the other held Hinata's cheek, allowing the kiss to deepen. The Hyuuga heiress didn't realize how her arms snaked their way to Sasuke's neck, embracing him and allowing the kiss to deepen even more.

Neither of them knew why, but they felt happy.

Neither of them knew why, but they didn't want to end their kiss.

Unfortunately for them, humans, even ninjas like themselves, need to breathe. Sasuke looked away from a blushing Hyuuga heiress when he realized what had happened. _I… I… _For the first time in his life, the Uchiha's head couldn't think properly. He felt like an idiot after his mind processed what had just happened. He had kissed Hinata Hyuuga.

On the other hand, Hinata tried to process what had just happened, but her head was just as messed up as Sasuke's. _I… I thought I loved Naruto-kun… and then… I-I k-kiss S-Sasuke-san? _Her gaze dropped on the floor, feeling ashamed and confused, unable to look into Sasuke's dark pools in fear of losing herself again.

Sasuke glanced at her after making sure he erased the small blush that had adorned his face after their kiss. He noticed her nervousness and tried to erase the proud smirk that adorned his face, failing miserably at the attempt. He didn't know why, but the thoughts that had escaped his mind while they were training in the forest started returning one after another. He started to imagine many things that involved the Hyuuga heiress as he stared at her. He envisioned himself caressing Hinata's curves, caressing her hair, her breasts. He imagined himself kissing every inch of her perfect body. He saw himself possessing her… accompanying her… living with her… and many other thoughts of them together. Suddenly, the words his mother had told him long ago appeared on his mind.

"_**One day… you'll find the right person. Someday, you'll learn how to love someone. You'll know who she is. You'll discover her by yourself."**_

He cleared his throat, attracting the white eyed kunoichi's attention. Blankly and trying to hide every emotion and thought that occupied his mind, he said:

"Tomorrow… Same time, same place." – He turned his back on her and, before started walking towards his own home, he continued – "And… thank you."

He walked away, leaving a confused Hinata staring after him.

After he arrived to the Uchiha Compound, Sasuke walked directly towards his own bedroom, all of the day's events always haunting him. He dropped himself on the bed, his head resting on his hands as he allowed himself to immerse himself in his own thoughts about the Hyuuga heiress. He didn't know why, but his mother's words kept appearing on his mind.

_Sasuke looked around himself, trying to find anything or anyone in the white space he found himself on. He started walking around and, finally, he found a human form. The only thing he could see was the familiar long blue hair. He approached her, anxious and tried to reach for her, dropping his hand at the last second. The woman turned around, her dark pools meeting with Sasuke's own. The Uchiha looked at her and could feel a familiar warm emptiness on his chest._

"_K-Kaa-san?" – whispered Sasuke, his hands clenching on his sides, trying to stop the tears from falling. _

"_Hello, Sasuke… it's been a while…" – his mother whispered, a sad smile adorning her face._

_As he heard his mother's voice, he couldn't stop the tears from flowing. He closed the space between them and hugged her, suddenly realizing she was taller than him and that he was back at his 8 year old form. _

"_Kaa-san… I miss you." – He whispered, holding her as tightly as he could. He couldn't help but feel everything was real, that she was back, and that they were suddenly back at the Compound._

"_Me too, Sasuke… You don't know how much we miss you. Me… Your dad… Itachi…" – she whispered, holding her son dearly with a couple of tears falling down her face._

"_I want to be with you, kaa-san. Can't I go with you?" – He whispered, his black eyes staring at her with need._

"_I'm sorry, Sasuke. It's not your time yet."_

"_But… But… I'll behave! I promise!" – He exclaimed with angst, holding his mother's hands in his tiny ones. _

_She smiled sadly at him, her eyes boring into his. She sighed as she released her hands from his hold. With her left hand, she grasped her son's shoulder while the other caressed his raven haired locks._

"_I'm sorry Sasuke… you can't come yet. You've important things to do yet." – She said, her smile never reaching her sad eyes._

"_What can be more important than my family, kaa-san?" – The boy asked, sitting on his mother's lap and listening to her intently, trying to hold back the tears that tried to escape after his mother's denial._

"_Her." – His mother whispered as her eyes looked away from her 8 year old son's face and behind his back. Sasuke turned around and noticed a smiling 17 year old Hinata Hyuuga. She was poking her fingers together and a small blush adorned her features. She was wearing a white sundress, while her long indigo hair freely fell behind her back. The vision was enchanting to Sasuke, who now sat next to his mother in his 18 year old form. "I sent you back to Konoha for a reason. I sent Hinata to you for a reason."_

_Sasuke stared at his mother and then at Hinata, his eyes finally falling on the nervous Hyuuga heiress. Suddenly, the Uchiha understood what his mother tried to tell him._

"_This… This means… Hinata… she… she is…" – He tried to choke out the words out of his mouth, but he continued to stutter._

His mother's smile and small nod was the last thing he saw before waking up in the middle of his bedroom at the Uchiha Compound, cold sweat running down his face. He quickly sat up as his hand wiped the sweat from his forehead. He clutched his fists tightly as he realized how important Hinata Hyuuga was to him in every single way.

He realized she cared for her, something he had never worried about.

Destiny had everything planned for them.

* * *

A/N: Six more pages! Hope you liked it. I don't know why, but I really liked how this chapter turned out.

Anyways, I just wanted to THANK YOU ALL for your support. THANKS to those of you who added this story to their favorites oralerts. THANKS to those who read and reviewed. You guys are very important to me so I hope you continue sending me your feedback, it's really important for me.

~ Melody of Perdition


	9. Date?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Hey Guys! Here's my Christmas and New Year gift for you. Hope you've a great time with the people you cherish and enjoy the last day of the year. Let us think back to the past and rejoice. Let us look ahead for the future.**

**Happy New Year!**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Date?**

"_**Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over.**__**"**_

* * *

She couldn't believe what was happening. Everything was going so fast.

She, Hinata Hyuuga, was on a date with Konoha's heartthrob – Sasuke Uchiha.

Or, at least, that's what the Villagers thought as she walked down the streets of the Village with Sasuke right beside her. After they were done with their training for the day, which consisted of the same exercises of their last training session, Sasuke suggested for going to a restaurant to take lunch, since Hinata had forgotten to prepare theirs. She had apologized profusely, but he shrugged it off, though he was dying to eat one more meal prepared by the Hyuuga heiress.

She eyed him from the corner of her eyes as they walked. She found herself admiring his raven haired locks and pale skin. To any girl, Sasuke Uchiha was the synonym of perfection.

What they didn't care about, and what Hinata found was more important than looks, was his personality. Most of Konoha's female population pushed aside the fact that he could be arrogant, moody, and cocky. But as she passed more time with Sasuke, the Hyuuga heiress realized that the last Uchiha had good traits too. He was intelligent, sarcastically funny, and passionate about everything he did.

"What?" – he asked suddenly as they walked. He had noticed her constant staring and wondered what ran through her mind. Something in her that captivated him, made him unable to be rude to her like he was with the other females.

Hinata glanced away from Sasuke, trying to evade his questioning eyes. She grabbed the hem of each of her sleeves with her small hands, twirling the clothing nervously. "I-It's nothing." – She whispered, feeling a soft blush appearing on her face.

He sighed and stopped in the middle of the street, ignoring the villager's staring and gossip, and took her hand firmly. It seemed to Hinata that he was confident, unlike her as she felt everyone's eyes bore in their joined hands, but Sasuke was hiding his nervousness behind his false façade. It was the first time he took a girl's hand in his. His eyes fell on their joined hands and he couldn't help but think that he loved her touch and her small and fragile hand in his.

Hinata's blush grew as she felt herself being dragged by Sasuke, their hands still joined. She tried to peek at Sasuke's face through her long indigo bangs, but her nervousness got the better of her.

She failed to notice Sasuke's slight pink blush.

* * *

"_Did you saw that?"_

"_Yeah! I can't believe it"_

"_At least now we know he's not gay."_

"_Why is she with her?!"_

"_Sasuke-kun, please love me!"_

"_What did she do to him?"_

"_Was that… Sasuke-kun?"_

Sakura couldn't help but listen to the gossip that was flying around Konoha, since it involved her long time crush. She wondered of whom they were talking about, until her blonde team mate approached her with a look of worry in her eyes.

"Sakura-chan! Please, don't cry!" – He exclaimed to her, holding her shoulders tightly and looking deep into her emerald pools with his own azure eyes.

She didn't understand what the hyperactive Naruto Uzumaki was talking about. _Why would I cry? What's wrong?_

"Sasuke is a real idiot, Sakura-chan." – he said, believing her silence was because of the pain that the Uchiha caused her every single time. – "But you shouldn't worry! He being in a date with Hinata is not a big deal!"

_A D-Date with… __Hinata?_

"What are you talking about, baka?!" – exclaimed Sakura furiously to Naruto, grabbing him by the neck of his orange and black jacket. Her emerald eyes reflected the intensity of her emotions. She was clearly angry, Naruto noted. He gulped as he realized his mistake. She hadn't heard that Sasuke was on a date with Hinata.

He tried backing away from her, but there was no point. Her strong grasp would never allow him to leave until he answered her question. He sighed, feeling helpless and told her what she needed to know.

* * *

Awkward silence embraced them as they waited for their food in a nice cozy restaurant. They were sitting in front of each other, trying to avoid each others eyes. Even Sasuke couldn't help but feel helpless and nervous in the situation he currently found himself in. Sure, he could fight kages, jinchirukkis, and any other kind of threat… but a girl was different, especially someone as special as Hinata.

Soon, a blushing waitress approached their table with their meals. She tried to attract Sasuke's attention, but this time he chose to stare at Hinata, ignoring everything else that happened around him. He loved to see her so nervous and fragile with her blush adorning her cheeks. He felt the need to protect her and now he knew why.

Hinata noticed how Sasuke's dark pools stared at her and only her. She glanced at the blushing waitress, whose seductive smile was starting to wear off to be replaced with a frown. She was quite pretty, but Sasuke didn't even notice her. Finally, after feeling disappointed and unnoticed, the waitress walked away, dragging her feet to where the other waitresses stood anxiously with comforting eyes on their faces.

The Hyuuga heiress poked her index fingers together as she noticed through the corner of her eye that Sasuke hadn't touched his food yet and continued to stare at her with those enchanting eyes of his. Slowly, she took her pair of chopsticks from the table, muttered a small "Itadakimasu", and tried to eat her plate of curry.

Sasuke woke from the enchantment the Hyuuga caused in him and followed suit, enjoying the fairly prepared onigiris with chicken and tomato sauce. _I definitely prefer Hinata's cooking. _– He thought as he forcefully ate his meal. After a few minutes, he cleared his throat. His nervousness would continue growing if he didn't do anything to distract himself from thinking.

"How's the curry?" – He asked before taking a bite of his meal and staring at Hinata while he chewed.

Hinata couldn't help but look up and giggle softly. The Uchiha hadn't notice the tomato sauce that was hanging from his bottom right lip. She couldn't help but imagine a younger Sasuke with tomato sauce plastered all over his face. Sasuke arched an eyebrow, curious as to why the Hyuuga was now laughing softly. _Her laugh is really cute. _– He thought, shaking his head to erase his thoughts. What was he thinking?

Hinata took a napkin in her right hand and smiled at him apologetically, before wiping off the tomato sauce from his face with the napkin. Subconsciously, Sasuke took her hand in his and noticed the red spot on the napkin. They stared into each others eyes, their hands still holding each other on top of the table. Both of them were so immersed with each others eyes that they didn't notice a tearful young woman with her pink hair swinging from side to side as she ran and a blonde young man who stared dumbstruck at the scene before him.

_That teme… loves Hinata?_

The Hyuuga heiress broke off the awkwardness between her and Sasuke, just to spot Naruto watching them from the restaurant's entrance. She gulped nervously and rested her hands in her lap, a slight blush adorning her cheeks. Sasuke's eyes kept focused on her, clearly not noticing his best friend's presence nearby, trying to discover what was making her nervous. Was she just as nervous as he was with her? Soon, he realized that she was staring at the entrance from the corner of her eye. He turned around and noticed that she was silently staring at his blonde friend, wearing a bright orange shirt with black pants.

"What is it, dobe?" – asked Sasuke loud enough for Naruto to hear him. The blonde shook his head, wiping away any crazy thought of Sasuke and Hinata as a couple. _Oh please! She can't be dating that teme! He's rude and cold, of course Hinata doesn't like him. She needs someone better, phew. What am I worrying about?_

"Heh, nothing teme!" – said Naruto as he sat down in the middle of the couple. He noticed Hinata's blush had intensified as he approached them, even more when he smiled at her. _Hmm… is she sick? _– "Ne, Hinata, are you sick? You are… red!"

"A-Ano, I-I'm fine, N-Naruto-kun." – she stuttered, her index fingers poking each other nervously while her gaze dropped to her lap once more. She still couldn't help but feel nervous around the Uzumaki, especially when he smiled at her or looked so handsome like he did at the moment.

"Are you sure? I mean, Hinata, come on! You must be really sick to be taking lunch with this guy!" – He exclaimed, shaking his head in Sasuke's direction. The Uchiha frowned as he watched the interaction between the white eyed kunoichi and his dumb friend. He talked, she blushed. He laughed, she giggled and blushed. He insulted him, she blushed! _What's so great about him? _– thought Sasuke, rolling his eyes in annoyance. – _He's dumb, he can't do anything right, he's an idiot… and he likes Sakura! The right question here is… what is wrong with her?_

"Ne, teme…" – said Naruto, attracting Sasuke's attention back to reality – "Sakura-chan was here. She left – crying. Shouldn't you do something?"

_He still worries about Sakura-chan… _- Hinata thought as a sad sigh escaped her lips. Sasuke noticed. Naruto didn't.

"If you care so much about her, why don't you go and chase after her?" – The Uchiha replied with his eyes once more on the blonde as he slouched in his seat. Even a five year old would realize that Sasuke didn't intend to go after their teammate.

"Sakura-chan is sad because of you teme! You should look for her!" – The blonde exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest. It was clear he wasn't going to drop the subject and Sasuke knew it. He would chase him around for the whole day if it was necessary.

_Psh, why can't the dobe mind his own problems? I already have mine! _– He thought as his eyes traveled back to the Hyuuga, who was attentive to the conversation with a sad expression adorning her features.

Sasuke sighed and ordered their bill to the waitress who kept trying to gain his attention. She squeaked and walked around the restaurant frenetically, gaining the attention of everyone in the place except for his. After he paid, without giving her any sign of being interested in her, he left, hoping Hinata would follow him. And she did… with Naruto walking next to her.

"Teme! Come on! You can't do this to Sakura-chan!" – He said, following him around. He was right after all. _Of course I was right, I am a genius after all!_

Sasuke stopped in the middle of the street, the eyes of the villagers around him resting on him. Yeah, that's right, he always attracted attention – even if he didn't want to. That's what girls loved the most about him. He sighed tiredly and turned around before grumpily replying: "All right. I will talk to her…" – he said, looking from Naruto to Hinata. – "After I walk her home."

Hinata was completely shocked by Sasuke's words. Her sadness was replaced with surprise. She had thought he would rush to Sakura after he paid the bill, since he had refused to allow her to pay her meal, but she had been wrong. He offered to walk her home! She couldn't help but feel a little happy at the Uchiha's actions towards her, even if it meant that he would be delayed to meet Sakura.

"Uh! Teme, Sakura-chan…" – grunted Naruto, who couldn't say anything more as he watched Sasuke take Hinata's hand in his and walk away towards the Hyuuga Compound. "Just promise me you will talk with Sakura-chan!" – He exclaimed loudly, only to see the Uchiha wave his free hand in his direction. _That teme… He better comfort Sakura-chan… she needs him… _- thought the blonde sadly as he walked to his apartment with his hands in his pockets and his gaze on the floor.

* * *

His hand was still on hers!

She couldn't believe that she was holding the strong, yet gentle hand of Sasuke Uchiha. Her free hand played with the hem of her jacket as they walked around the streets of Konoha until reaching her own. She hastily dropped his hand and poked her index fingers together nervously.

"A-Ano thank you for the meal, Sasuke-san." – She whispered with a small smile adorning her features as her gaze tried to look at him in the eyes. No point trying.

"Hn, no problem." – He simply muttered. To Hinata, it seemed that the Uchiha was clearly pissed with her for making him walk her all the way back home. _And he still has to look for Sakura-chan… _- she thought sadly. She felt like a burden to him for bothering him that way. But, contrary to what Hinata thought, Sasuke was beyond nervous, so he tried to keep his cool by responding as simple as he could.

"W-Well… Good night." – She muttered with her gaze on the floor as she started to walk away to the front door of the Hyuuga compound.

"Wait." – He suddenly said, stopping her in the middle of the street as she turned around to meet his eyes. He rushed to her side and to her hand in his once more. _Uh? What's going on? _

"Hinata… uh…" – he muttered and something that she thought she would never see in her lifetime happened. Sasuke Uchiha, the last Uchiha and Konoha's ex-avenger, was _blushing. _What else could it be that slight pink tint that adorned his cheeks? She could feel her own crimson blush on her face. _He looks so… so cute…_

Sasuke gulped nervously and then muttered what he had been so nervous about for the whole day. His voice level had dropped significantly that caused Hinata to miss his words that were mixed with the strong breeze.

"W-What is it, Sasuke-san?" – asked the white eyed kunoichi. Sasuke responded in a whisper, yet the breeze took away his voice once more. A couple of cherry blossom's petals danced around them as they stared into each others eyes. Everything was deathly quiet.

And with the still silence, Hinata felt the darkness overcame her. She subconsciously prepared herself for her fall to the cold floor, yet it never came. The only thing she could feel was an even breath and a strong pair of arms holding her tightly. One last sentence was all she heard before she submerged herself in her peaceful sleep:

"_I said I like you."_

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**A/N: Well guys, I'm finally here! Uploading one more chapter on the last day of the year. As I said before hope you have a great time and that your wishes and resolutions for next year may come true. Thank you so much for your support this past year, I really appreciate you guys. I hope to have your support next year too! (Or the time it takes to finish this fic, which I believe is almost done!)**

**Please read and review! I'll be glad to hear from you and your opinions, constructive critics, congratulations, questions, etc. THANK YOU for this last year! THANK YOU for reading, reviewing and favoriting/alerting!**

**Best wishes**

**~ Melody of Perdition**


	10. Black Heart

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters**

**A/N: I'm sorry for making you wait for so long! Hope you aren't angry with me! College had me absorbed, but here I am! Please read and review, telling me what you thought about this chapter! I'm really interested in you and your voices!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Black Heart**

"_**Love is my wings, when you abandon me, I can only fall two thousand feet from the sky."**_

_**

* * *

**_

"_I said I like you."_

Hinata woke up from her slumber at the sound of _his _velvet voice resounding in her dreams. She could feel her intense blush become more prominent as it adorned her features. Many thoughts raced in her mind, but all of them were concerning a young ninja with raven locks and intense dark eyes.

_Sasuke-kun… he likes me… he likes me! I thought he didn't care about me… but… but… I was wrong._

The indigo haired kunoichi didn't notice a young man with long brown hair leaning against her room's doorframe, staring intently at her. A frown adorned his features, but he remained silent, watching every expression that crossed his cousin's face. He could see in those lavender pools of hers emotions like worry, disappointment, but… in spite of everything, he could see happiness.

He growled as he remembered the Uchiha, who had appeared at his doorstep with an unconscious Hinata on his arms.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Loud knocking reached his ears while he sat by the living room with a peaceful smile on his face and a book on his lap. He sighed and tiredly walked to open the front door, since the branch members in charge of the house seemed to have disappeared. As he stood in front of the grand door, he stood upright and opened the oak door that stood in the middle of him and his visitor. When the door was fully opened, revealing a dark haired ninja he knew quite well, the Hyuuga couldn't help but glare at his unexpected visitor. _

"_Hyuuga."_

"_Uchiha."_

_Both of them simply said, acknowledging each others presence with a similar glare on their faces. Neither of them wanted to admit defeat in their silent glaring contest, but Sasuke found himself glancing at the Hyuuga who rested comfortably in his arms. Neji glanced as well and his eyes stared intently at his cousin's face, where a sweet smile and a light blush adorned her features._

"_What is this Uchiha?!" – exclaimed the brown haired ninja, whose arms moved swiftly to get a hold of his cousin, but Sasuke backed away from him to avoid Neji to even touch the delicate form of Hinata._

"_Where's her room?" – He asked with strong authority in his voice. They glared at each other for a couple of seconds, until Neji sighed and simply walked inside, knowing Sasuke would follow him until reaching her room. Sasuke entered her room silently and gently placed Hinata's sleeping form in her comfortable bed. The Uchiha had a soft smile on his face, Neji noticed, as he stared at her._

"_Why her?" – asked Neji, a frown still adorning his features. He didn't like the idea of the Uchiha, the Konoha's ex-Avenger, being near his sweet and kind cousin. She wouldn't have the strength or the cold heart to back away from him. _

_Sasuke, without turning to look at him, shrugged and simply said: "Does it matter?"_

_Neji glared even more after Sasuke's emotionless response. His hands clenched into fists that caused his hands to bleed. The only thing he could feel was anger. Who did the Uchiha thought he was? To him, he was nothing, in spite of the Uchiha blood rushing through his veins or the fact that he had defeated Uchiha Itachi, his own brother. But, when Sasuke turned around to leave the place, he couldn't help but notice the small smile that adorned the cold features of the last Uchiha._

"_Hinata-sama…" – he muttered, mostly to himself, as he stared at the sleeping form of his cousin – "you must have really changed him…"_

_End of Flashback_

_

* * *

_

"Hinata-sama." – He muttered, taking her out of daze, staring intently at her as he approached her bed. She looked up at him with confusion and muttered a simple "Neji-nii-san", before she found herself in the arms of her strong cousin. She blushed slightly and remained silent in his arms, waiting for him to say something.

"You know I care about you, right Hinata-sama?" – said Neji, closing his eyes in the crook of his cousin's neck.

"O-Of course, Neji-nii-san. You always do." – she said, a small smile gracing her lips as she shyly returned the awkward hug her cousin was giving her. She couldn't help but notice the difference between her cousin's hug and Sasuke's strong arms protecting her. A pink blush adorned her cheeks when she remembered herself falling in his strong arms, who promised endless protection to her.

"_I said I like you." _– His voice repeated once more to her at the back of her mind. His words in that enchanting voice of his made Neji's words escape her.

"Hinata-sama, did you listen to me?" – He asked his voice full of strength and confidence as he grasped her shoulders and looked intently into her eyes.

"U-Uh? I-I'm s-sorry, nii-san." – She simply said, bowing her head in shame of being so distracted thanks to the Uchiha's words.

Neji sighed, but was sure that what he was about to do was the right choice. He didn't want his cousin to suffer more like she had done with her love towards Naruto.

* * *

Darkness surrounded the village she held close to her heart. Every street was starting to grow quiet as the minutes passed by, most people succumbing to their sleep, while others drank with sake their hearts out. She couldn't understand how easily her life had changed during that day. From sadness, to happiness, to depression. She had learned that Uchiha Sasuke just planned on using her. Or at least that was what her dearest cousin had said, and she knew that he would never lie to her, since he cared for her. _He's of the few people that actually care for me… not even my father does._

Her heart dropped at the thought of her father and his stern gaze that was always directed to her. She felt her heart crushing deep inside her as the memories of a happier time passed blurrily through her head. Those times used to be filled with laughs and happiness, and it was all thanks to the presence of her beautiful mother.

She sat in one of the benches next to the village's park and sighed deeply, her eyes staring absently at her hands that rested on her lap. She could listen to the laughs and music of a nearby party, possibly a beautiful wedding of a couple who she could picture with big smiles on their faces. _First Naruto-kun… then Sasuke._

She dug her face in her hands and started sobbing quietly. Not only had Sasuke lied to her about liking her. Not only had he used her to make Sakura jealous.

Sasuke Uchiha had broken her already broken heart.

"What are you doing here, Sakura?" – asked with a monotone voice the dark haired ninja to the pink haired kunoichi that stood at his door. He had hoped that a certain blue haired kunoichi stood at his door with a small smile adorning her features.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun! I brought you breakfast!" – said cheerfully the pink haired young woman, though inside she was dying. Her hopeful heart had betrayed her once more.

Sasuke was about to send her away, but his empty stomach betrayed him. At the sound of his betrayal, Sakura happily entered his dark home and closed the door behind her, before walking towards the kitchen and setting the bag of groceries on top of the kitchen table. She moved around his kitchen and he couldn't help but think about the last time a woman had stood on that kitchen, and it had been his mother when he was eight years old.

He sighed at the memories and muttered in a soft, yet annoyed voice "Shower" and "Don't bother" before walking towards his room silently. Sakura smiled happily as she felt a bit of Sasuke's acceptance towards her. _Little by little… I'll win his heart! I'm sure! _

As Sakura prepared the pan where she was going to prepare some scrambled eggs, she felt a familiar chakra approach Sasuke's home. _It´s her. _She glared at the door, expecting someone's knock on the door. After a few seconds of clear hesitation, a soft knock was heard. She cleaned her hands in the apron she wore around her slim figure and walked towards the door, full of confidence and pride. Sakura swiftly opened the door to reveal the petite figure of the indigo haired kunoichi with whom her prince had found himself entangled in with.

"S-Sakura-san?" – muttered nervously the girl in front of her. As Hyuuga Hinata nervously glanced at her, she could see sadness and fear in her eyes.

"Hm… Hinata! Good morning!" – said the pink haired kunoichi cheerfully with a big smile and soft blush adorning her cheeks.

"A-Am I d-disturbing anything?" – said the Hyuuga heiress, with a soft blush and sad eyes adorning her face. Sakura was about to answer when a topless Sasuke walked into them, surprise evident in his eyes as he took in the figure of Hinata at his doorstep. At the sight of him, Hinata felt tears on her eyes. _They are together… I should've known. _She dropped her gaze to the floor, muttered her apologies, and tried to run away from the visions that started haunting her – Sasuke hugging Sakura, Sasuke smiling at Sakura, Sasuke caressing Sakura… Sasuke loving Sakura Haruno.

"Hinata, wait!" – exclaimed Sasuke, trying to stop her from running away from him, but being stopped by Sakura's strong hold in his arm.

"Let her be Sasuke… I heard…" – muttered Sakura sadly, though in the inside she couldn't help but cry from happiness. Everything was going just the way she wanted it, right?

"You heard what?!" – exclaimed angrily at her the dark haired ninja. _How dare she stop me from following Hinata? What did she told her before I came here?_

"I…I thought she told you! Sasuke-kun, she's getting married to Neji. I heard it from Hokage-sama." – said the pink haired kunoichi, her hold never leaving Sasuke's arm. She felt how his muscles tensed under her touch as her words processed in his mind.

Sasuke stood there, paralyzed as many emotions traveled through his body. Sakura stared intensely at him, her arms snaking to rest on his waist and resting her head on his chest. "I'm sorry I'm the one to tell you, Sasuke-kun."

As she tried to comfort Sasuke and thought about how successful her plan had been, a pair of azure eyes stared at them intently, a sad smile adorning his lips.

* * *

"I bet you want to make me proud, don't you, Hinata?" – asked her father with a stern voice. The two of them sat in the dark room that he called his studio. As always, Neji sat beside her, supporting her silently as he always had after his encounter with Uzumaki Naruto in the Chunnin Exams.

"Y-yes, father, a-always." – muttered the heiress with sadness in her eyes. _As if I could make you proud, father…_

"Very well." – said Hiashi, standing up from his seat. With his back facing them and his arms crossed over his chest, he continued: "You shall marry Neji in two months."

Both of the younger Hyuugas tensed at the words muttered by the leader of their clan. Neji stood up and walked angrily towards the older Hyuuga in a menacing way with strong fists at his sides already allowing blood to leak out of his body.

"How dare you?! How dare you play with Lady Hinata's and my own happiness?! I will no longer be your pawn! I´m tired of you!" – exclaimed the younger Hyuuga, surprising both Hinata and Hiashi, who had turned around to face the anger of the Hyuuga prodigy.

"Happiness? You think everything is about happiness? How naïve of you, Neji. I thought you understood what being a Hyuuga was about. It´s all about sacrifice. I sacrificed my own happiness by marrying Hinata´s mother and you dare to come to me and threaten me?!" – exclaimed with his strong and stern voice, surprising Neji and filling Hinata´s eyes with tears.

_W-What? Otto-san n-never l-loved my o-okka-san? W-What is this? They… They always were happy… H-How?_

No one at Hiashi´s studio bothered to glance at the distressed heiress whose face was hidden behind her small hands, crying uncontrollably.

She had just discovered that her whole life was a lie.

_Someone… Please save me._

_

* * *

_

"What is this Shizune?" – asked the blonde with her hair tied in two pigtails to the dark haired kunoichi as Hinata begged for help to the heavens. Her hands slammed the papers on her desk, crushing the vulnerable piece of wood that had stood in the middle of her office.

"H-Hinata's medical report, T-Tsunade-sama." – whispered nervously the Hokage's assistant with a frightened Ton-Ton resting on her arms.

"How is this possible?! She's too young!" – exclaimed the Hokage, her arms crossing over her chest as she sat tiredly on her still intact chair. She closed her eyes and massaged her tense temples, waiting for an answer from her mute assistant.

"I can´t believe it either, Tsunade-sama." – muttered sadly Shizune, while Ton-Ton followed her statement with a sad whine.

"Not only is she marrying that Neji brat…" – the Hokage sighed sadly, turning in her chair so her eyes met with the full view of the sunny village that she swore to protect.

"She's also dying." – muttered sadly her assistant, gazing at the copy of Hinata's medical report that she held on her hands.

_Name: Hyuuga Hinata_

_Rank: Chunnin_

_Age: 17 years Birthday: December 27_

_Height: 160 cm Weight: 45 kg_

_Blood type: A+_

_Symptoms: Chest pains, vomits blood_

_HIV: Negative_

_Pregnant: Negative_

_Leukemia: Negative_

_Hereditary Diseases: Negative_

_Coronary Heart Disease: Negative_

_Rheumatic Heart Disease: Positive_

_

* * *

_

A/N: Please review! Critiques are appreciated! I'll start updating more often, since I'm finally on vacations!

Take care, dear readers

~Melody of Perdition


	11. Tears of Hope

**I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Tears of hope**

_**"Love is a cycle, only time will tell if you win or lose."**_

* * *

A blue haired young woman sat in her bed, her hands in her lap and her pearl eyes resting on the purple carpet of her bedroom's floor. She felt a strong and constant hammering against her head after the twisted way her life had become. She was to marry her dear cousin, the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan, but she wondered if that was exactly what both of them wanted. A pair of onyx eyes continued making constant appearances on her mind as she thought more and more of her marriage.

_Sasuke__-kun…_

She clutched the hem of her jacket as more thoughts of the raven haired man invaded her against her will. Silent tears started softly pouring out of her pale eyes, leaving a trail of their presence on her cheeks before falling on her clenched fists. Deep inside her, she knew she liked him, even though he had only used her. _No use though… I'm marrying Neji-nii-san in two months…_

She heard a loud knocking on her door. The constant sound against the entrance to her hideout could only come from one person – Hanabi. _She must be worried about me… _Even though her own heart tried to escape from what was said during her meeting with her father, Hanabi had listened everything and was angry at him. Sure, her younger sister was stronger and confident than her, but Hanabi cared for her, enough to take her side against their father, even if Hinata just shrugged it off.

"Hinata! Please, open the door!" – exclaimed the younger sister, who waited at the other side of the door. The Hyuuga heiress hugged her knees as Hanabi's loud thundering turned into a more silent one.

"Hinata…" – whispered her sister from the other side of the door – "Don't give up, nee-san…" Her body started trembling as Hanabi's words echoed in her mind. She was indeed giving up, going against her ninja way. _I'm only failing myself… I probably should…_

"_I said I like you." _– Sasuke's velvet voice resounded in her mind. Only his words remained in her mind, serenading her into a peaceful sleep, where a pair of passionate onyx eyes gazed at her.

* * *

_She's marrying that bastard! I always thought she was different… guess I was wrong. Dammit!_

Thoughts like those caused confusion and anger in a raven haired young woman who sat in his dark bedroom, his hands clenched in strong fists, causing blood to slowly drip its way to the floor.

The full moon's light filtered through the large window that stood next to his bed. Still, he could feel the usual darkness filling the old and tragic Uchiha compound.

_Mom told me… She is the one…_

Sasuke smiled bitterly as memories of his happiest moments appeared on his mind. All of those memories included Itachi and himself when they were younger. A lonely tear was shed unwillingly by the last Uchiha who sat in his room with past, painful memories helping him to remind himself he was still alive.

* * *

It was a bright sunny day when she spotted them. She had been doing some grocery shopping for the kitchen as she walked by Konoha's main street and saw them together. Both of them were sitting on a bench, holding each other in a shy embrace and talking in hushed voices. Hinata's lips formed a thin, sad smile at the sight in front of her. How could fate be so cruel? What had they done to deserve what was to come?

Sighing, she clutched her bags tighter to her body and continued walking towards her home. Her eyes never looked back to where Neji and Ten-ten held each other in one of their last embraces.

_Otto-san… why do you do this?_

"Hinata-chan!" – exclaimed a loud voice, that could only belong to the one and only Uzumaki Naruto, as she finally reached her home's street. She turned around to meet his running form, her face turning bright red as she realized she had become the center of attention of all the villagers around them.

The blonde in question smiled at her when he finally reached her side. He took a deep breath as to stabilize himself from the full marathon he had done after spotting the Hyuuga heiress walking around the streets.

"Hey Hinata-chan! It's been a long time!" – He said, with his usual cheerful aura surrounding him. She smiled at him and nodded silently.

"Hai, N-Naruto-kun… I-is there anything I-I can d-do for you, N-Naruto-kun?" – She asked shyly, holding her bags closer to her chest, her eyes looking right into his, something she wouldn't have dared to do years before. And, for the first time, Naruto noticed. He saw Hinata's new confidence and finally, after years of knowing her, he saw her as she really was. He saw her the way years before she would've killed to be seen by him.

"Uuh, you see…" – muttered Naruto nervously before clearing his throat and continuing – "I was wondering if you would like to have some ramen with me! Not like last time but… you know… just us."

Hinata blinked with confusion evident in her features. _N-Naruto-kun is asking me on a date? W-Why? Why now?_

"I'll take that as a big no. Hehe, no worries then, Hinata-chan… I guess I'll see you later." – He muttered nervously, trying to make a run before the situation turned into a more awkward one.

_You loved him didn't you? Go for it!_

Without thinking, she yelled his name in a longing way for the first time in months, paralyzing him as he was about to turn the corner. There, standing in the shadows, he met the cold red eyes of his best friend and rival.

"I'll go out with you, N-Naruto-kun…" – she said loud enough for both young males to listen to her response. Both of them stood in complete silence facing each other with surprise in their eyes, even in the stoic face of the last Uchiha.

With her nervousness caressing every inch of her body, Hinata walked awkwardly into the Hyuuga household without noticing the Uchiha's presence and the coldness that was evident in those red pools of his.

The only thing the raven haired man thought was how stupid he felt for ever thinking she really liked him back.

"Sasuke…" – muttered the blonde, sadness for his friend hinted in his eyes and voice. The Uchiha turned around and ignored the nervous calls from his former teammate.

He carried his weight heavily to a secluded area in the training grounds. Sasuke dropped himself in the ground. He closed his eyes and started punching the ground. Once… twice… he lost the times he did so, trying to clear his mind of every thought that surrounded his last hope, a certain white-eyed young woman.

"_Love makes us __lose our minds, Sasuke-kun…"_

_Kaa-san…_

_**-**__**Flashback-**_

_Another Valentine's Day had gone by and __I, by miracle, had survived the attack of my female classmates; especially the ferocious attack from one Haruno Sakura and her best friend, Yamanaka Ino. I dropped my bag by the door entrance to my home and ran towards my room, hiding underneath a blue blanket that rested on top of my bed. _

_I heard my__ mom's soft footsteps approach my door and the delicate jasmine smell that reached my nose with which my room was filled in, indicated that my mother had joined me at my room. I childishly screamed into my pillow, annoyed at how I could still smell the chocolates the girls had intended to give me or hear their loud voices in my ear even though they were trying to be "quiet". _

"_Sasuke-kun… What's wrong? Another attack by those girls today?" – asked __my mother, Uchiha Mikoto. I could feel the sweet smile on her face and her motherly hold on his right shoulder, squeezing it lightly as if saying "I'm here, Sasuke-kun…" even though my face was facing the comfortable blue pillow on my bed._

"_Go away…" – I muttered, still annoyed for everything those girls had done to me that day. They had chased me around… they hadn't even allowed me to do my usual shuriken practice! I remember thinking at that moment: __**Without my practice, Itachi will continue being otto-san's favourite…**_

_With delicate movements, my mom took me in her lap and started caressing my hair. She hummed softly and kept her eyes on me as she tried to erase my annoyance. She smiled at me and softly said: "You can't blame them, Sasuke-kun… You're really cute after all." _

_I remember crossing my arms on top of my chest, which made a melodic giggle escape from my mother's lips. With a grin still plastered on her face, she continued: "And… it's Valentine's Day. They want you to love them..."_

"_But I don't love!" – I muttered angrily. Her smile faded for a moment, before returning to her beautiful face. She held my hands in one of hers and gazed into my eyes that resembled hers. "Love… Love makes us lose our minds, Sasuke-kun… And everyone loves someone. I love you, like you love me right?" – She said softly, her eyes never leaving mine. _

_I blushed slightly as I embarrassed myself and muttered rather quickly: "Yeah, I love you mom…" She hugged me tightly and sat me on my bed, before standing up and walking to my door. She paused and turned to look at me with that same loving smile adorning her face and said with a voice full of affection before leaving my room:_

"_And I will always love you, Sasuke-kun… Always." _

_**-End of Flashback-**_

And now, all those memories just caused me pain and suffering. My heart ached as I remembered all of those moments shared with the ones I loved… with my family. I always felt the black hole where my heart used to be after their death. But then, she had appeared in my life. She had been my hope, now everything was gone. She was marrying Neji and even dating that baka of Naruto...

I looked up at the sky and noticed it was already in complete darkness, just like I felt at the moment. At that moment, I felt the tears quickly falling down my face as I remembered the faces of my dear ones, especially my mother's and that particular memory. But that was until I heard a soft voice from behind a tree that paralyzed me completely.

A voice that called my name…

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**A/N: All right~! New chapter uploaded! Hope you liked it. I would appreciate your feedback and I thank you for your patience and support! **

**Take care, my dear readers!**

**~ Melody of Perdition**

**IMPORTANT: In "Separate Worlds", only Shizune and Tsunade know about Hinata's disease. Not even our heroine!**


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